Kiss of Midnight
by Mahi-Mahi
Summary: Deep under the ice of Bouvetøya Island, Lex finds her reason to survive.
1. Chapter 1

.

**.: KISS OF MIDNIGHT :.**

o0o

.

Cold weather, snow, climbing ice covered mountains and leading expeditions into uncharted and dangerous new territories – all these things agreed with Alexa Woods.

Aliens, on the other hand, did not.

_The enemy of my enemy is my friend._ Lex had never been more certain of the significance to this proverb than she was in this very moment. Or rather, the moment when she had made first contact with an intergalactic predator that had been out for her blood. The adage had served her well and she had used it to its fullest potential in her gamble to survive.

Lex's guarded eyes tore themselves from the darkness of the pyramid to spare an inquisitive glance at the massive being before her. He was currently leading them through corridor after corridor, navigating the sparse lighting with absolutely no difficulty as she tried to keep up with his impressive speed. She followed a few paces behind at his heel, keeping a cautious and healthy distance, but still remaining close enough to cling onto what little security his terrifying presence offered against those horrid black monstrosities.

She didn't pretend to know what kind of mess she had gotten herself into, nor did she particularly wish to dissect the insanity of it at the moment. Her instinct was to survive, and to do so she had pushed her emotions to the backburner and kept her senses alert. Her uncertainties were forced to take a back seat.

There would be no hysterics from Alexa Woods.

In her mind, she tried to convince herself that she wasn't the only one left. The idea that there were other humans remaining, searching for each other and planning an escape, was comforting in the best of ways. However, the eerie quiet of the pyramid and the mere extent of time that had passed since she'd seen another human's face spoke volumes to the disheartening truth.

_Everyone was dead. _

And she was alone.

Lex directed her gaze to the large creature in front of her when they slowed to a stop. The hall they were traversing had ended and split into three diverging corridors. She watched, intrigued, as he lifted his arm and utilized a device strapped to his wrist. She heard what sounded like his claws tapping on something metallic and, with a few quiet clicks, a soft glow suddenly illuminated the area in front of him.

Having him here with her – another living, breathing, sentient being that even resembled a humanoid – it was oddly comforting. With him, she didn't feel entirely alone. Although it wasn't difficult to guess the fate that Charles Weyland had suffered at his hand, Lex couldn't explain the peculiar sense that he was different from the other two, that he lacked the mindless violence that they had radiated in waves.

Then again, maybe it was just her desperate attempt to cling to hope that was creating illusionary traits about him in her mind. It was quite possible. The human psyche could do amazing things when the need for survival was strong enough. Coping was just one of the many device mechanisms that could take over, forcing the brain to turn and work when it otherwise wanted to shut down.

After another second or so of silence Lex took a step forward, curious to find out why they weren't moving. She cautiously peeked around his broad shoulder to find an advanced holographic projection displayed above the gauntlet on his wrist. When she saw the detailed levels of the structure they were currently trapped within, she knew immediately what it was.

"The pyramid," she said quietly.

Did he know the way out?

She started to take another step closer, eager to examine the extensive map, when a distinct and low growl stopped her in her tracks, sounding like a very big and very dangerous animal. Her eyes caught the way his grip tightened upon his combistick, clearly telling her such advances were not welcomed.

Lex took two steps back for the one she had taken forward, unafraid but respectful of his apparent boundaries.

From behind the smooth contours of his mask, she could practically feel his eyes looking her up and down, gauging the stillness of her form and the details of her surprisingly schooled expression. She had no doubt that most of the humans he came across were usually sniveling and wailing in terror, their faces contorted in hideous fear. Her calm façade must have seemed like an unusual divergence from the ordinary.

With a dismissive huff, he turned and headed down the hall to their right in a brisk walk. As she followed, she had a mind to ask him where he was leading them. He seemed to know where he was going and she was still worried over the issue of whether or not he was taking them _out_ of the pyramid or deeper _into_ it.

Lex hardened her resolve.

It mattered not currently. Her best and only chance was to stay with him. If she broke away from the security of his presence to search for the surface, she would surely die.

Her biggest concern was those terrible monsters slinking around in the dark like nightmares come to life. The question of just how many of the creatures were left entered her mind. She had come here with a large group, and considering all that she had learned thus far about their reproduction habits, along with a few calculations accounting for how many her and her unlikely companion had killed, there were still many, many more left.

Her thoughts were cut short when the alien before her stopped once more. Thrust from her silent musings, Lex noticed he'd led them to large cell that was similarly built to the sacrificial chamber her team had discovered upon first entering the pyramid. He examined the room around them for a brief moment, as if to make sure the place was secure, before he turned and crouched near one of the walls.

Lex watched, slightly confused, as he unclasped a few mechanical straps on his armor and tugged his chest plate off. The metal clinked and clanked quietly as he set it aside. Afterwards, he proceeded to reach behind himself to pull out a small kit. Drawing his clawed fingers over the sides, he lifted the lid off with ease.

When he started taking out unfamiliar but distinctly medical looking supplies and placing them next to him on the floor, Lex stepped forward, uncaring if he got offended by her proximity. Neither of them was wounded and, unless she was mistaken for assuming this alien equipment was 'medical' in nature, she had no clue what he was planning.

"Hey…what are you doing?" she asked a little cautiously as her eyes roved over the strange tools he'd set out. Although she was indeed curious about what he was up to, a kernel of annoyance flared inside her at the waste of time. She was eager to find a way out of here and whatever he was doing didn't seem to pertain to that.

Instead of acknowledging her, he completely ignored her and she stared in both confusion and impatience as he began making something that looked like blue fluorescent gel.

"What are you doing?" she demanded again, only slightly louder this time.

His head finally lifted and he watched her for several very quiet seconds, the sound of his strong, steady breathing the only thing filling her ears.

He gestured for her to move forward with one large paw and Lex hesitated. Her fingers quickly tightened on her makeshift spear and her back straightened slightly in an unconscious and instinctual effort to make herself appear bigger and more intimidating than she really was.

At her reaction, a low trill rolled out from her companion, smooth and strangely reassuring.

Again, his hand waved her closer, the slow movement amazingly fluid for such a huge, muscular being. Like trying to coax forward a frightened animal or a small child, the long, sharp talon of his index finger curled in a strangely entrancing 'come hither' motion.

Swallowing softly, she buried her nerves and took a few steps closer before kneeling down in front of him.

"What is that?" she asked, her eyes pointing to the gel as he set it down beside him. Her lashes widened significantly when she noticed the huge syringe beside it.

He lifted his fist, thumping it against the middle of his chest once before expanding it out, his fingers spreading as he did so.

Lex nearly dropped her lance as she immediately shot back up to her feet, staring at him with wide, guarded eyes as her arms repeatedly tensed at her sides.

She knew _exactly_ what he was trying to say.

He had one of those things inside of him.

Uncertainty filled her with alarm, not sure what to do about it.

He didn't give her a second to contemplate the dilemma, though, for in the very next moment he reached out and snatched her small wrist from her side. With only a menial fraction of his strength, he yanked her back down, bringing her face directly before his with a warning growl.

She didn't let the sudden display of aggression get to her.

She merely stared into the blackened eyes of his mask, slowly realizing that if the creature were allowed to reach maturity inside of him…he would die.

If he left her like all the others had, she would have no one left.

She would be _completely_ alone.

Her eyes gradually lowered to his chest and she envisioned the disgusting creature squirming around inside of him. Anger flared within her, making her wish she could just reach inside and rip the little abomination from his body. These things had taken so much from her. Strangely enough, she did not want him to leave her, too. Not like this. She didn't want to be alone.

The sound of another slow trill snapped her gaze back up to his. His thumb was roughly rubbing her tiny wrist with a pressure that she could only assume was gentle for someone of his kind, his large paw completely swallowing her in its grip. It stunned her for a moment, feeling such a clearly reassuring gesture from this…this _alien_.

Then again, he needed her help to survive just as much as she needed his. It wasn't surprising he was trying to butter her up, per say. Had it been any other occasion, then perhaps she would have found it ironic.

Strengthening her resolve, Lex hardened her eyes and nodded once.

"Okay," she said steadily, conveying that she was ready and willing to do whatever he needed of her. "Tell me what you want me to do."

She stayed silent as she watched him pull a large dagger from his boot and gesture to his chest again.

Lex suddenly paled. She immediately took back her wish to reach inside him and pull the monster out when she realized that was _exactly_ what he had in mind.

Obviously he was much more resilient than humans. He was built sturdier and was no doubt an extremely hardy creature, but this was just…was it even possible for him to survive? On the other hand, she knew he really had no choice. It was either get it out now and risk death in order to gain a small possibility of living, or outright die from the creature when it hatched later.

It was certain death versus almost certain death.

She couldn't help but admire him for his choice, his desire to live, even knowing it was going to be agony. He may have been built like a brick house and his tolerance for pain was likely elevated, but she was willing to wager he felt it just the same as any other living creature. He was just as mortal as her.

A long, shuddering breath left her lips as he began to walk her through the 'plan' for the procedure. With silent resolve she concentrated on his wordless directions. She memorized every instruction, unwilling to miss a thing that could cause her to screw up the whole operation.

He made a gesture to cut through the right side of his chest, just a little below his ribs, without actually breaking the skin. He went through the motions, showing her the steps they would take in a carefully choreographed sequence.

When he removed the knife, he grabbed her wrist again and drew her hand forward, coaching her on where she should grab. After pulling back, he kept her hand fisted and lifted the dagger to slice through the imaginary alien's throat, only to throw it to the side before pointing to the bowl of gel and syringe that lay beside his thigh.

Lex studied every stage of the process carefully, determined not to fail. As he released her arm and brought the dagger to his chest, presumably to cut through for real this time, Lex hastily stopped him, hardly able to believe he was ready to do it, just like that, with no preparation or moment of waning reservations.

"Wait," she said sternly and reached out to stay his hand. He cocked his head slightly and gave her another warning growl as she stood, ignoring him.

She took a minute to pace slowly, shaking her arms at her sides in an attempt to collect herself in every manner possible. She wasn't going to think about the horror of what she was about to do. She wasn't going to center on the fact that she was about to reach inside an alien's chest with her bare hands to pull out another equally terrifying alien larva. It would only get her worked up and make her more nervous. Instead, she evened out her breathing as she clenched and unclenched her fists, working out any anxious jitters that may hinder her actions and cost her companion his life.

She could feel his eyes on her every move. Perhaps he thought she was simply frightened or panicked. If so, then so be it. However, as her field experience began to kick in and her role as a guide whose job was to properly and confidently tend to her clients in situations like these took over, she wanted him to have confidence in her resolve and to be comforted in the knowledge that she was going to do her best. After all, it was _his_ own chest she was going to be wiggling her fingers around in. She doubted he was any more thrilled about having a human feeling up his insides than she was. Either way it didn't matter. His species didn't seem like the kind that cared much for reassuring words and gestures. Still, she'd be damned if she didn't take a moment to properly prepare herself before reaching into an alien's body in an impromptu and rather barbaric operation to pull out yet another alien lifeform incubating inside him.

Truly, she'd had to deal with some rather harrowing medical emergencies in her time as an expedition guide, but this was a whopper. Usually she knew exactly what she was doing, but there was no amount of training or experience that could prepare her for this.

Focusing her mind on the task at hand, she composed herself and turned to her hulking companion. Once she met the black gaze of his mask's visor she gave him a single resolute nod.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said quietly, her voice echoing slightly and reverberating off the hieroglyphic carvings of the room that surrounded them.

Stepping toward him, Lex unzipped her jacket and shrugged it from her shoulders before tossing it to the side. As he lowered himself from his crouch and leaned back against the wall for support that he would undoubtedly need, she straddled one of his muscular thighs to ensure she had the best angle that she could work with. His leg felt incredibly hard beneath her when she settled down onto him, like massive wall of rock. There was nothing soft about him and her sudden proximity to him was a little intimidating and unnerving, if only for the fact that they'd been keeping a healthy distance between them up 'til now.

With her feet planted firmly on the stone floor she looked up one last time just as something entered her mind; his anatomy could be totally different from hers. What if she grabbed his heart or something by accident and killed him?

Lex had to restrain herself from releasing an explicative. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to think of the best way to go about this. Likely, the direct approach was the best possible choice…the only choice, actually.

Lifting her hand, she brought it up and lightly pounded the left side of her chest.

"Heart," she said, hoping he would understand her meaning as she reached out and did the same to him by gently patting the dense, hard muscle of his left pectoral. She nearly jerked her hand back, momentarily stunned by just how staggeringly solid he was. "Where's your heart?"

His head tilted and Lex realized he was not grasping what she was trying to convey.

"Your heart," she repeated and, cautiously at first, grabbed his hand in both of hers to carefully begin guiding it to her chest. There was a brief instant in which she hesitated, holding his palm just inches away from her body. She was beginning to realize just how much trust she was putting into this being by doing this. He could crush her without the least bit of effort…she'd seen him throw those aliens around like they were paperweights. What would that strength do to her should he see fit to use it?

The thought quickly faded as she brought her mind back to reality, recognizing the fact that he was putting an equal amount of trust in her by depending on her to help him.

Bringing his hand the rest of the way forward, she laid it against her. His massive paw nearly engulfed her completely as she pressed his palm down on her breast. Closing her eyes, she listened and waited until she caught the distinct beat thrumming through her veins. Once she found it, she began patting the back of his scaly hand in time to the steady pulses.

"Where is your heart?" she asked slowly, opening her eyes to glance up at him. "I don't want to damage it accidentally."

His head was still cocked, studying her curiously.

Another moment passed as he seemed to contemplate this until he pulled his hand free. Gripping her forearm, he guided her palm back to his chest and pressed it surprisingly close to where the human heart was located. It was exactly the same place, actually. Under her fingers, she felt a steady thumping, beating strongly under the bulky layers of muscle and hide.

_Thu-dump…thu-dump…thu-dump…_

"-_heart,_" her voice repeated back to her, mechanical and electronic in its sound, taking her completely by surprise. It was a recording, a lone word singled out from her short question and looped back. He nodded once, apparently having understood her message.

Lex nearly sighed in relief, glad that his physiology seemed similar to her own. That, at least, gave her some comfort to know she wouldn't inadvertently grab anything too important…hopefully.

Letting out a deep breath, she offered a small but reassuring smile.

"You ready?"

The predator gave her no response as he lifted the dagger and positioned it over his chest, only looking up to check her one last time before commencing unflinchingly.

Lex quickly rolled up her sleeve, squirming slightly in her seat atop his thigh as she waited with her eyes dead set on the area where the tip of his blade touched his skin.

She felt him tense under her and, without warning, he plunged the dagger deep into the right side of his chest, just below his ribcage. Fluorescent green blood seeped from the wound and trailed down his abdomen. Impressively, the predator exhaled sharply but made little protest. Just as his breathing picked up, he ran the blade further down and twisted it to create a gash large and wide enough to fit her small fist.

Lex refused to even flinch as she remained intensely focused. Her eyes stayed keenly fixed on the hole he was currently gouging out, undaunted by the neon green blood that spilled from him.

When he removed the blade, Lex braced one hand against his chest as the other moved forward and slipped between the flaps of flesh, refusing to waste any time with unnecessary dramatics. "Brace yourself!" she announced just to give him fair warning.

A low, pained groan came from her companion's throat when she pushed deep inside. Her fingers instantly set about searching for the abomination that resided in his body. She tried not to hesitate or get sidetracked by his tortured growls, but it was difficult. The instinct to stop causing him pain when she knew she was the source was strong, but she powered through it, knowing that this had to be done. His arms tensed harshly and his leg bent slightly, allowing him to clutch his armor plated knee while his other hand punched the wall at his back to distract himself from the anguish of her tiny hand maneuvering around his innards.

Lex closed her eyes and began to build a mental picture of what her fingers were feeling. It was intensely hot and about as slimy as she would expect anyone's insides to feel like. But when she felt his ribs against her wrist, she doubled her concentration and tried not to gag.

She'd seen the numerous skeletons laying around the pyramid grounds, tucked in dark corners and lying atop the sacrificial alters with their sternums erupted from the inside out and faces distorted in agony. With an educated guess, it wasn't hard for her to deduce where the little monsters grew inside the body.

A picture of the beasts came to mind and Lex mentally steeled herself. She refused to lose even one more person to them – even if that person was her unlikely companion. She'd been responsible for her team's lives and she'd failed them. At least with him, he gave her a goal to strive for; to get him out alive. Perhaps then she could somehow find redemption in this small act.

Now utterly determined, she began to hurry her search, not wanting drag out his misery any longer. When she felt something squirm against her thumb, her heart literally leapt.

She had found it!

Lex immediately lifted off his thigh and angled her body in order to maneuver her arm enough to grab it. Leaning in closer, she pushed just a little deeper until her hand was buried inside him nearly up to her elbow. Then she felt it and her fingers instantly clamped around its slithering body.

"Got it!" she cried, still holding firm to the slippery mass in her grasp.

He answered with a shuddering trill, both of them seeming to understand each other perfectly well despite not knowing a single word or sound that passed between them.

Before she even attempted to pull it out Lex gave it an experimental tug and checked his reaction. She wanted to be doubly sure that she actually had the chestbuster and that it was not wrapped around some random vital organ. Considering it was tucked up somewhere between his ribs and his lungs, she intended on doing this as properly as she could – _without_ causing too much collateral damage. She wasn't going to do something as stupid as just yank it out.

When she saw no immediate response from him, she assumed it wasn't attached to anything and slowly started to retract her arm, bringing the slimy creature with her.

However, as she began to pull it out the parasite seemed to realize the danger it was in. Like the little monstrosity that it was, it began fighting her efforts to drag it out of its incubator prematurely. It twisted and squirmed around, clamping down on her hand with its small mandibles before releasing its tiny and underdeveloped inner jaw.

Lex gave a loud cry when pain shot up her arm. It had pierced straight through the heel of her thumb. She had practically felt it graze the bone.

Pushing the pain aside, she used its inner jaw against it by pressing her palm hard against the mouth of the creature, effectively trapping its face in her hand and ensuring that it would not escape to cause further damage.

Finally, both her hand and the parasitic alien emerged from the side of his chest, coated in green blood and screeching loudly in protest to its untimely birth.

She opened her mouth, about to call out their victory, when something abruptly stopped her hand's journey, leaving her unable to pull it out any further.

"Shit!" she cursed in both anger and panic when she realized what was happening. "It's wrapped around something!" She thought she'd already made sure this wouldn't happen, but it must have coiled its tail around one of his organs in a last ditch effort not to be removed.

Cold fear wound itself around Lex when the predator let out a long and agonized groan. His body was tense and he seemed to be shaking slightly as his head rolled back against the wall. His breathing was heavy but she could tell he was trying to keep it under strict control. She dared not pull harder for fear of the damage it could cause.

Immediately her eyes scanned for the dagger, only to see it laying on the other side of the predator, much too far out of her reach. Without even thinking, Lex bent forward and clamped her teeth down on the alien's throat. Even as she bit into it hard, her blunt teeth failed to penetrate its flesh.

More anger coursed through her veins, enraged by the bane these creatures had thus far brought her.

Viciously, Lex shook her head, growling and tearing its throat open. Simultaneously, she sent up a silent prayer that it would fall limp and relax its hold like most other organic life forms do when they die, rather than stiffen up and ruin her efforts. When the disgusting alien screamed and wailed before suddenly falling limp, a surge a triumph swelled inside her – only to instantly vanish when a burning sting began to sear the bottom of her palm.

_Shit! Its blood!_

Hastily, she spat the piece of frayed tissue from her mouth, grateful that its flesh had protected her face from the vile substance. Thinking fast, she snapped her legs together over his thigh, protecting him from the dripping acidic blood as she pulled the rest of the long, worm-like creature from his chest.

His deep, shuddering breath alerted her to the fact that he was still conscious. That meant he was thankfully still alive, though she certainly didn't envy him. It would have been better for him to just pass out, just to spare him the pain.

She had been so concentrated that she had failed to notice if he was even still breathing up to that point. Zoned in so thoroughly on her task, Lex could only hope they wouldn't be attacked – they would be totally helpless in the face of such an event.

With the threat of attack now in her mind, she began to move faster. She leaned over his lap and grabbed the syringe with her injured hand and dug out a hefty scoop of the blue gel with the other. With the syringe too large for her to hold properly and her wounded hand adding to her difficulties, she instead used her chin to press into the plunger as her fingers locked through the ringed grips. She drove the needle deep into the hole in his chest and compressed the nozzle with her jaw, stuffing the area with serum. Just as she pulled the syringe back she followed with the handful of gel, smoothing it over the bloody gash and packing it in as tightly as possible.

Lex couldn't be bothered to flinch when he abruptly tossed his head back and released an unexpected and terrifyingly loud roar, his body shaking all over with pain.

By the time she realized the ordeal was finally over she suddenly became aware of how still he'd become.

Concern made her lift her eyes to his masked face, afraid that his body had finally given out after such an excruciating procedure. However, when she leaned forward and caught the sound of his shallow breathing, she released a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"Must be some painful stuff," she remarked to herself and lifted her hand to briefly examine the bluish gunk coating it. For him to suffer through all of that, only to pass out from the gel, she couldn't imagine how powerful it must be.

Considering she'd grabbed it barehanded, she was just glad she hadn't touched it with her wounded hand.

Leaning back, the young woman let out another long sigh. Her head fell back and her eyes slipped shut as she felt her entire being begin to shake and tremble. The stress of the moment was catching up to her. Like a delayed reaction, it caused her nerves to fray at every ending.

It was fine with her, she was just thankful she hadn't gotten all queasy and useless during that nightmare.

However, just as the adrenaline began wearing off and her intense focus withered away in the quiet of the cold room, she became glaringly aware of the harsh sting burning her thighs and hand and even the corner of her mouth. Without the rush of adrenaline to dull her senses, she was starting to feel the pain. Quickly, she pushed herself from his thigh and stood up to examine herself.

The vile blood of the creature she had killed had splattered against the injured heel of her thumb and also the back of her hand, leaving behind a matrix of burnt flesh. It had also dripped to the outside of one of her thighs after she'd used her own legs as a buffer to protect her companion. Lex snatched up the large dagger from the ground and swiftly shredded the thick fabric of her pants, slashing the still smoking material from her lower hip all the way to her knee.

Throwing the eroded flap of fabric aside, she mentally cursed herself for her foolishness and forgetting the damage their blood could cause.

Lex inspected the disfiguring burns that covered her thigh and hand. She was grateful that it hadn't eaten all the way down to the bone. It was just the surface skin that had suffered. As she reached up and touched the small spot to the left of her lips, she flinched back at the brief jolt of pain it caused. Lifting the dagger, she wiped off the blood and checked the damage in the shiny reflection of its blade. The throbbing wound was no bigger than the size of a small bead. It must have only been a single stray splatter that had hit her face, thank god.

_That is definitely something I don't wish to ever experience again_, she thought as she glanced down to her unconscious companion. _Maybe he'll be okay now, at least._

When the scraping of stone and granite disrupted her moment of silence, Lex lifted her head to see the walls around them starting to shift. A flash of worry rushed her mind. They would be crushed if she couldn't find a way to move him. But, when the room altered around them and then settled seconds later in a very different but secure shape, she realized he must have known this room would remain relatively unaffected throughout the ten minute intervals that kept the pyramid in an ever changing state of transformation. He must have specifically chosen this chamber, knowing that there would be a good chance he'd be decommissioned for an extended period of time.

The last shift had occurred a few seconds before they'd entered the room. But now that she looked back on it, it was hard to believe only ten minutes had passed since then. That gruesomely barbaric 'surgery' had felt like it took hours, rather than minutes. It was like time had slowed down and sped up all at once.

Either way, it had been _brutal_.

Lex was torn between feeling pissed off and feeling pleased. The former because he'd been impregnated by one of those damned things in the first place, and the latter because he had actually trusted her enough to allow her to reach inside his chest with her bare hands. Though, it wasn't like he'd had much of choice. So she doubted trust had anything to do with it.

With a weak frown, Lex checked her surroundings.

She'd been stuck in this damn pyramid for – by her calculations – nearly a full day and a half, running into xenomorphs at every turn.

She was exhausted.

Just then, a cold chill ran down her spine. During her time here she had developed a very distinct sense of awareness, almost like an alarm that alerted her to the sleek, black terrors running amok through the halls. It caused her skin to tingle and her pulse to race anytime one was near, even if it was out of sight. She could practically feel them in the air.

Right now, those alarms were going off like crazy.

The latest pyramid shift had opened up new corridors to the room. It must have led them straight to her.

Immediately, she turned her dark eyes to the shadows. Her body tensed up into a defensive position and she slowly lowered herself down to reach for her makeshift lance and shield.

Wrapping her fingers tightly around the ancient metal, she ignored the stinging pain it caused her injured hand and brought the alien skull closer to her torso to protect herself. Straightening back up, she adjusted her stance and ran her gaze over the darkness surrounding her.

The low, aggressive growl reached her ears only seconds before the sight of a long, onyx shape gradually crept out from the shadows. Sleek and smooth in its movements, it was like the blackness had come to life, melting into reality.

Fear was her first response. It flooded her veins like a disease. It threatened to freeze her up and send her mind into a haze of panic and despair. However, Lex quickly stomped it out. Fear would get her killed, it would make her weak, and she'd had enough of feeling weak. She'd had enough of these creatures terrorizing her. They'd killed off her entire expedition team and now they wanted her, but she wasn't going to let them. She outright refused to give in.

Even if they took her, she'd be damned if she didn't at least put up a good fight.

Her eyes narrowed and she hastily tucked her companion's dagger into the back of her belt, saving it for backup. One brief sideways glance towards him told her he was still out cold. She was totally on her own.

This was going to be a battle she would have to fight alone.

Shifting her stance, Lex leveled the creature with a deadly glare, neither of them willing to back down. The deep, menacing growl it emitted from its drooling maw seemed to communicate just how well it understood her body language. However, when it slowly turned its eyeless head, senses taking in the lifeless parasitic heap lying on the floor where she had tossed it, only to alter its attention to her unconscious partner leaning against the wall, Lex nearly cursed.

Its posture lifted slightly, as if raising its hackles in anger at the sight of its aborted sibling.

Fast and deadly, it suddenly launched towards him and clasped its spiny claws around his ankle, causing Lex to yell out in a burst of protective fury.

"Let go of him, you bitch!" She rushed forward and raised her staff high before driving it down hard. The crude spearhead, made from one of the aliens' own barbed tails, cut straight through the beast's slender hand with surprising ease.

Its head reared back with a subsequent scream of agony and rage, writhing slightly as it pulled away from him. Acidic fluid dripped freely to the stone floor, sizzling and burning through the thick granite.

When it abruptly turned its seething gaze towards her with a vicious snarl, Lex lifted her shield and stared straight back into its glossy, eyeless carapace. She moved carefully, both human and monster circling one another, allowing Lex to place herself directly between her companion and the enemy she now faced alone.

_I won't lose_, Lex mentally asserted to herself. _I won't die here._

Suddenly, the alien charged and Lex followed suit. Holding her shield and spear out fiercely, she faced the opponent set before her, refusing to yield to the seemingly insurmountable odds.

.

o0o

.

Every subtle sound was unnervingly exaggerated in the numb silence of the room. Each time Lex tightened her grip on her weapon, every rasping chafe of her jacket, every shuffle of movement and every breath she took was amplified in the cold air surrounding her.

The soft shuddering of her breath filled the quiet as her eyes scanned the darkness diligently. She sat at her companion's feet, knees pulled up and grasping her spear and shield tight, having purposefully placed herself between him and anything that dared to steal out from the shadows.

She was certain hours had passed, coming and going and leaving her behind in this hellish place. After she'd defeated the first creature that had attacked, two more had soon taken its place. It had been a hard fought battle, but she'd come out of it alive.

There had been many an opportunity for her to escape, many a newly unlocked egress for her to run. Even though the pyramid continued to shift around her, this room had always remained open, allowing him a place to recuperate after such an invasive operation. Indeed, she had seen many chances to flee, yet she had stayed. Now, she simply sat like an unmoving sentry and listened to the sound of his breathing, communicating to her he was still alive.

She had stood and faced the danger willingly when it would have been more suitable for her to leave him behind and save herself. While he may know a way out, she clearly would have been better off leaving him and searching for that exit on her own, rather than wasting time here and placing herself in danger by protecting him.

Perhaps she was just afraid of being alone. Perhaps she thought she stood a better chance with him on her side. Either way, Lex refused to lose anyone else to those monsters, even if he was different from her. He was under her protection now, just like her team, and she had already made a silent vow to herself to get him out alive. He was her last chance at redeeming herself.

Lex tried to take another mental count to determine how many of the black, serpentine creatures were left, but it was impossible to verify. She kept making guesses, but she didn't know how many of her crewmen had simply died compared to how many had actually been successfully used in their sick cycle of reproduction. She had also seen three of the humanoids, her companion included. While she knew one was already dead, the other's fate was unknown. Could he have been impregnated, as well? Not to mention, she had no clue if there were others like him. If they'd been taken down, there could be uncountable numbers of them left. The odds could be insurmountable.

Given they'd been wandering the pyramid for hours on end, slaughtering creature after creature without even a sign of his cohorts, it wasn't hard to figure out he was the only one left of his kind and she was the only left of hers.

How dismal…

Shaking her senses back to full alert, she momentarily scolded herself for allowing her mind to wander off when she needed to keep sharp. She needed to stay frosty.

Quickly snapping back to attention, she busied her eyes with vigilantly scouring each and every crevice of darkness set before her. She was just starting to wonder if another attack would come when the distinct sound of reptilian skin scraping across granite startled her.

Shield and spear in hand, she whipped around and stopped short at the sight of her alien companion staring back at her from behind the smooth contours of his mask. His head was upright and he was clearly awake, his breathing sounding much better. Lex sat momentarily frozen. She glanced down to the gnarly looking wound on his chest before slowly lowering her weapons, realizing she might have overreacted a bit. She was certain if she survived this ordeal her nerves would be shot for life.

"Hey…" she began carefully. She very nearly flinched at the sound of her voice breaking the thick silence after it had hung in her ears for so long. "How are you feeling?" She really hoped he was well enough to start moving again.

Lex was still unsure if he could understand her and she didn't know if she should even bother trying to communicate any further. But he seemed to pick up on at least a few of her words so far, like his understanding of her effort to locate his heart. Although, she doubted words were really necessary. She was certain he was as equally aware of their predicament as she was. They were nothing but sitting ducks in that room.

He studied her for a moment, his head cocked slightly to the side, as he examined the three xenomorph corpses surrounding them – one of which whose amputated hand was still wrapped around his ankle. When he lifted his gaze back to her, it was as if he was baffled by the prospect that she had actually protected him. Even with his eyes concealed behind a sleek black visor, she could practically taste the mystification wafting off him.

She could feel his eyes roving over her after scanning the carcasses strewn about the room again, clicking in consideration.

Although she had already caught an obscured glance of his face earlier in the pyramid when he'd taken his mask off to mark himself, Lex was curious as to what his expression was like under that visor. Rather, if he even could make an expression.

Had she impressed him somehow? Like the way she did when he decided to let her tag along. What if he'd only let her come with him for the express purpose of getting the alien out of him? What if he killed her now that she'd fulfilled her function?

Her own eyes broke away to fleetingly comb over the dead bodies of the aliens. _She_ had done this. She had been strong enough to take them on and come out on top. Even if he had only used her, hopefully he'd now see that she was worth keeping around.

_Kiande amedha chiva_…is what Sebastian had called it. His two other companions had failed at what she had achieved. They had been unsuccessful where she had triumphed. It's why he kept her, why he hadn't killed her.

She looked back to him, truly taking in the details of his alien form for the first time. His vaguely reptilian hide was shaded in deep, mossy greens and blacks and tans; colors that washed out and blended over his body, lighter on places like his chest, stomach and the insides of his arms – darker on his legs, back and sides. In those places of transition, where his light russet hues faded to green, his flesh was mottled with dark spots of varying shapes and sizes. He had smooth hair-like appendages that resembled dreads and fingers that were large, but fairly lean for such a massive frame, each digit tipped with dangerous looking claws. His hands were nearly black and covered in smooth scale-like ridges and bumps that faded out to flesh tones at his palms and undersides of his fingers. However, his most notable trait was the stunning bulk of ripped muscle that covered absolutely every inch of his body, which, in turn, was wrapped in a thin layer of mesh.

He easily stood seven foot, possibly taller.

He utterly dwarfed her in every way.

Her eyes dared to roam over the toned shape of his chest, abs and narrow hips. With his armor covering nearly every other part of him, they were the only places that were exposed enough for a clear view without his chest plate blocking them. Lex quickly glanced away.

Indeed, if she, a small and – by comparison – frail human had succeeded where his brethren had failed, he would no doubt view her as an asset to getting out alive. That, or a complete affront to their pride. She hoped it was the former.

Yet…he'd trusted her to put her hand inside his chest…for some reason, she just couldn't get passed that.

Lex ventured another cautious glance at him and nearly balked upon realizing he was still openly studying her, completely unabashed. Under such a stare, she quickly straightened her posture and coldly squared her shoulders, refusing to appear weak.

Maybe she had gained his respect at her accomplishment in killing these monsters. Maybe he simply knew he didn't have any other choice than to tolerate her. Either way, she found herself glad that he had taken a chance on her. Somehow, she felt her odds at getting out of this alive were better off with him than without him. After all, anybody that could actually survive having a hand jabbed into their chest to pull out a disgusting, writhing alien was someone she wanted on her side.

"Come on," she insisted after the silence began to stretch on too long for her liking. "We need to keep moving." Lex stood up and stretched out her hand in offering, a gesture she was certain would be clear, no matter their language barrier.

He looked at her hand, clicking in curiosity, before he casually smacked it away and began to get up on his own.

Lex had to stop herself from moving forward to help when, upon standing, he let out a pained growl and fell back heavily against the wall.

"Hey, take it easy," she urged quietly and narrowed her eyes in disapproval. It was clear he was trying to hide his discomfort. "There's no sense in pushing yourself." There also wasn't any sense in him acting like a tough guy. She'd just pulled an alien parasite out of his chest a couple hours ago. It was safe to say anybody would be a little woozy after such an experience. She certainly wouldn't hold it against him even if he fell to the floor howling in agony.

Impressively(and arrogantly) enough, he merely snorted at her concern and bent down to retrieve his chest plate before pushing onward, adjusting the metallic armor over his shoulder as he went.

Lex could only follow after him, inwardly hoping that he would never expect the same resilience from her if she were ever grievously wounded in their battle to survive this hell hole.

.

o0o

.

It was impossible to tell time down here. There was no sun that rose and fell to give away the changing of the hours, or to tell her if it was day or night. The only light that existed in the pyramid was afforded through cracks and crevices and the occasional bright beam billowing in through the even rarer well-lit passageway.

Lex had yet to determine if these sparse sources of light were produced from somewhere in the pyramid, or perhaps leaked in from breaches at the surface. There was no way of knowing for sure how they were dispersed throughout the many ever changing halls they traversed. She suspected it employed the use of mirrors or something similar, considering the light would seem more reflected than direct and would fade in certain areas that she assumed were further from the point of origin.

Breaking down the numbers in her head, Lex guesstimated that from the time she and Weyland's team had entered the shaft under Bouvetøya Island to now it had been at least a day and a half, quite possibly two given the total shift in reality she had recently experienced.

She was exhausted and hungry and completely worn out. Physically and mentally.

Lex buried the head of her spear down into the skull of yet another black creature at her feet, shoving the heel of her boot atop its long cranium to give it a twist. The sharp motion stilled the creature's pain filled writhing, allowing her to pull the spear free and shake off the corrosive blood.

Indeed, she was glad he'd made her such a weapon from her initial victim's tail, otherwise she would have been left totally defenseless after her first kill. No matter how primitive the spear was, so long as she could defend herself she would use it to its fullest capacity.

Stepping away from sizzling blood on the floor, Lex glanced at her large companion just as he extracted his wrist blades from deep within an alien's skeletal chest.

As he turned to her, she watched his head cock curiously, his unusual dread-like hair swinging with the movement. She nearly mirrored the motion, wondering what it was she had done this time to spike his curiosity. Then she realized her center of gravity was way off. Her vision blurred for a moment and she felt her world begin to tilt, causing his image to move in and out of focus.

Lex barely managed to reach out and catch her palm on the cold stone wall before she collapsed. She leaned against it heavily, closing her eyes to try and gather her senses. It seemed she was even more fatigued than she had originally thought.

When she opened her eyes again, Lex nearly jolted back at the sight of her companion standing right in front of her, tilting his head here and there as his gaze roved over her. Tall and imposing and with muscles that looked as if he could tear her asunder with naught but the slightest effort, Lex jerked back and immediately straightened up when his hand lifted and slowly began to reach out for her. Although the action had caused a terrible wave of dizziness to assail her, she gathered her inner strength and pushed it down stubbornly.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, fearful that if he began to see her as a weakness he would be rid of her. "Just a little tired…" Lex trailed off sternly, trying to demonstrate her competency by moving forward.

His gaze followed her as she stepped around him, growling softly in what she could only translate as disapproval.

Heading for the steps at the end of the room, Lex held back a curse when she felt her legs wobble again.

Before she could even reach the stairwell, a large hand landed on her shoulder, pulled her back to the wall and then forced her onto the floor.

Lex gasped and clenched the rod of her spear tightly as she stared up at the predator standing before her. His massive form blocked off any chance of escape, looming over her and scaring her out of her wits.

"What are you do-?" Lex cut herself short when he suddenly crouched down and leaned forward aggressively, forcing her back flush against the wall.

"_There's no sense in pushing yourself._" Yet again, Lex was stunned by the sound of her own voice echoing back at her.

She exhaled shakily and began to slowly lean forward at hearing the recording, fascinated. She stopped herself just shy of reaching out to touch his mask when she realized he actually seemed to understand her language to some extent.

"You…can understand me?" she asked, partly in disbelief.

There seemed to be a moment of consideration on his part, maybe contemplating how he would answer or maybe just trying to decipher her words. After a few seconds of thought, he nodded his head with a faintly skewed shrug.

"You only understand…_some_ of what I say," she stated rather than asked, having easily read his gesture.

He nodded his head again, much more confidently than last time.

"What's your name?" she found herself asking before she could stop herself.

"-_-name?_" her voice repeated back.

Lex blinked, realizing that he must not recognize the word. She briefly mulled over the best way to communicate her question, and in the end decided that the 'me Tarzan and you Jane' route would likely be the easiest option. She then proceeded to lift her hand to her chest, intending to convey her name along with the meaning of the word.

"Lex…I'm Lex," she said, patting her chest lightly before reaching out to warily place her hand on his shoulder. She dipped her head expectantly and raised her brows slightly as she waited for his reply.

"**Lhe…Lehhhcks.**"

Lex's eyes suddenly widened and she nearly pulled back in shock. Her mouth parted fractionally, both astonished and utterly enthralled to hear her name rolling out from behind his mask. The deep, gravelly voice sounded more like the roar of a diesel engine turning over, rather than anything smooth or even human. But the sheer reality of having him in front of her, attempting to speak her name, had her grinning in amazement.

"_Yes_…" she whispered softly, bobbing her head with a few absentminded nods as she stared into the dark, blacked-out eyes of his mask. "Lex."

"**Lehx,**" he repeated, his pronunciation much more better than his last effort.

"What is your name?" she tried again, hoping that he now understood. Undeniably, she had been curious about his name and if he even had one. She would not stoop to something as degrading as giving him a pet name, seeing as how she herself would be quite offended were someone to give her some silly moniker simply because they could not understand her language. Aside from that, taking into account the mere fact that he was a hulking, seven foot tall alien built for the sole purpose of killing…he didn't really seem the appropriate type to give a 'pet name' to, nor did she think he would appreciate it.

He was silent for a short bit and Lex began to wonder if she had failed to get her message across. Just before she was about to try again, he reached up and pat his chest in much the same manner that she had done to hers.

"**Skahhr**," he drawled slowly, apparently trying to articulate it in a way she could replicate. "**Skar,**" he said again, much more clearly. His enunciation was heavily laden with clicks and trills, leaving Lex to suspect that without the human-esque translation it would be something she wouldn't even be capable of understanding, let alone imitating.

"Skahr…_Skar_…" Lex echoed quietly, trying it on her tongue a little more firmly and turning it over in her brain as her mouth silently worded his name. "_Scar_," she said as her eyes lit up with understanding. Her gaze lifted to his, the pronunciation dawning on her. "You're name is Scar."

He nodded again, all of his mannerisms measured and smooth and even a bit exaggerated as he lifted his hand and tested the softness of a stray lock of her curly hair with a brief touch from his clawed finger.

"**Lex.**"

Lowering his large paw, he placed it on her shoulder and pushed her back against the wall in a clear statement that he wanted her to rest.

She looked down at his hand engulfing her shoulder and then raised her dark eyes back up to him. Her brows furrowed in annoyance when she finally comprehended his message after a few seconds of thought.

"You can't possibly expect me to sleep right now," she scoffed, wondering if he'd lost his mind. "A person would have to be insane to sleep with those monsters running around!" Lex tried to stand back up, but the firm pressure of his hand was too strong. He easily kept her rooted to the spot, refusing to allow her to get up.

"Let me go," she said sternly. "I'm not going to just sit around here while those-!"

She instantly snapped her mouth shut when he lunged forward, growling harshly in her face and shoving her back into place, one of his hands braced on the wall above her head.

"Fine," she bit out with a direct glare and reluctantly turned her head away, exposing her neck in a universal display of submission. She had to bow out, as this was a fight she was obviously never going to win. "But you better not let your guard down on the off chance I do end up falling asleep."

He lifted his chin with a heavy snort, as if he were offended by the idea that he would ever do such a thing.

It took a couple of moments to get her pride to acknowledge her 'surrender', but Lex eventually gave in and rested her head back against the wall. She grudgingly let her muscles wind down as he stood and made his way over to the other side of the room. She observed him warily for several long minutes, still unsure if he would care enough to bother watching over her as vigilantly as she had watched over him. Completely leaving her life in the hands of a strange alien who hunted humans for sport wasn't exactly on the top of her to-do list.

It didn't exactly take a genius to figure out that his kind obviously wasn't too keen on altruism and all of its encircling philanthropic qualities. But he had at least honored their unspoken agreement of camaraderie thus far.

Still…he had a name, and it was _Scar_…somehow, it made him even more real than he already was. Her humanity latched onto it; the familiarity of names, the intimacy of it. Humans named things. Humans gave things titles. Names brought about connections and it made her look at him differently. It made him seem a little less alien and little more human in her eyes, even though she knew full well that he was anything but.

_His name is Scar_, she thought as her half lidded eyes stared sleepily at his tall form standing across from her. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and his back was against the wall. She could literally sense him staring right back at her.

After only a few minutes of trying to stay awake, Lex felt her head drop once. Quickly, her fingers tightened on her spear as she snapped her head back up and looked around a bit frantically, disbelieving that she had truly been so tired as to nod off that fast.

A deep, rippling noise rumbled out from her companion's chest, something that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Lex merely ignored him and readjusted her position to get a little more comfortable, hugging her spear securely between her legs and tight against her breast.

Settling her chin on her knees, Lex's eyes began drooping again only seconds later.

It was difficult finding peace in the darkness of this place. Flashes of snarling, salivating maws and elongated skulls painted in glossy black veneers filled her every thought and worried her to the point of paranoia. Their claws could lash out from any passageway that was too dark for her to see through. Their tails could drop down from the ceiling at any time. Should she let her guard down long enough to miss their bodies crawling over the walls, their lengthy inner jaws could protract and penetrate her skull. Were she to allow them one second of advantage over her, it would mean her end.

She pictured her expedition team, all of them that were supposed to be safe under her wing, being dragged off one by one. Although she refused to meet such a fate, it was not very difficult to picture herself in their position.

Curled up against the wall with her legs drawn up to her chest, Lex made a silent vow to herself to never allow those creatures to reach the surface…even if it came at the cost of her own life. With the sleek, black terrors still on her mind, Lex's eyes finally slid shut against her will. As her cheek slumped to her knee, her grip on her spear subconsciously tightened. She huddled its comforting security closer to her chest before loosening her hold altogether, at last drifting off to a fitful sleep.

.

o0o

.

_Something had her!_

Lex cried out in fear as she felt something big and warm wrap around her. It was firm and unyielding, making her feel utterly powerless against its strength. Everything seemed dark and cold and she could sense her usual composure slipping in the chaos of her mind.

Trapped in the un-reality between sleep and awake, she began to hyperventilate as her lungs constricted.

Everything was out of her control; her team, her life, her surroundings. Lex was a young woman used to the unknown. She had always considered herself prepared for that unavoidable cog in the wheel when she led her expedition teams into uncharted lands. But this had been something so far outside the realm of her expertise that she could do nothing more than grasp at the edges of the cliff of sanity and survival, desperate not to fall over into the void.

In the disorder of her unconscious mind all she could see was darkness. Inside that darkness, all she knew was that _they_ were there; the aliens, the monsters…the terrors. She knew their purpose well enough.

Their growls were in her ears and the occasional glint of their glossy hides reached her eyes.

Hurriedly, Lex's arms began blindly flailing, searching for her spear, but to no avail. She couldn't move, not with that firmness still wrapped around her, holding her arms tightly to her sides.

She felt utterly defenseless, at the mercy of their slobbering jowls and deadly claws. Every fear and emotion was amplified in her dreamlike state, hindering any effort she made to calm herself enough to gather her wits. The pure helplessness of her circumstance was overwhelming in the worst of ways. It caged her in the darkness and reached inside her with unforgiving fingers, ripping out every ounce of her strength.

"No!" Lex jerked violently at the feel of their cold, spiny fingers gripping her arm. "No! Get off me!" she shrieked in angry protest even as their tails wrapped around her waist and legs, subduing her to the point she couldn't even move.

She clawed and fought relentlessly, refusing to give up on life. Even if they devoured her alive, they would never conquer her, they would never destroy her spirit. To her very last breath she would fight them. She tried crawling away, running, punching and kicking, but they were so very strong…

Lex had always been the type to never go down without a fight, but as a bleak sense of dread sank over her, she was left with the inescapable truth that she would never live through this. They would take her back to their lair where she would die in terrible, horrible pain.

In her dream, she was surrounded by them, unable to move…_helpless_. In reality, her body felt the warmth surrounding her, pinning her arms to her sides to keep her in place. It was two different realities battling to come to the surface and her terrified mind could do little more than convert the feeling of restraints into her dream, translating it as tails and claws.

Something was suddenly covering her mouth, gripping her with insurmountable strength and locking her head back against something solid to silence her cries of protest. A whimper of fear slipped past her trembling lips. The feeling of their strong tails wrapped around her, trapping her own arms to her sides, was terrifying. Her body twisted against the hold, blind instinct pushing her to fight to the bitter end.

Then it all stopped and a rich, thundering sound filled the air.

Lex froze at the deep, rumbling purr that suddenly washed over her, reaching into her chest and invading her weary body. At the back of her head where she was pressed to that firmness she could feel strong, constant vibrations thrumming through her skull.

Her brain practically tingled from it and her eyes nearly rolled back into their sockets.

Pleasure, full and strong, surged into her, causing her body to instantly go limp. How long had it been since she'd felt anything so good?

Unable and unwilling to fight it, she let out a long, quiet moan in the back of her throat.

The sound gradually grew louder, soothing her like the steady, rolling waves of an ocean.

Slow and lethargic, her eyes slid open to see the walls of the pyramid – already shifted several times over since she had dozed off. Wrapped around her, Lex found it was not the tails of aliens that had ensnared her, but the strong arms of her companion.

Crouched behind her, he had apparently pulled her back against his chest at some point in her sleep in order to restrain her thrashing. His hand was pressed over her mouth, muffling the screams she had undoubtedly been making during her nightmare.

A brief worry entered her mind, one that had her wondering if she had been loud enough to attract the unwanted attention of the xenomorphs. That was probably why he was trying to shut her up. But as that steady purring kept pouring into her skull and the heat from his body bled through the layers of her jacket, Lex could barely manage to keep her eyes open.

There were parts of her that railed against the idea of trusting him like this. She didn't want to place her life in his hands. Not only was it a leap of faith she wasn't ready to take, but it was also a massive blow to her pride to have to rely on someone else for protection. For a woman as independent as she, it was as discomforting as it was humiliating.

However, as those smooth, reassuring vibrations continued to roll over her form, Lex felt all her concern and unease wash away without her consent.

Lex exhaled against the hand pressed over her lips as fatigue finally won out over logic, sending her spiraling into a sleep that was much more peaceful than last.

.

o0o

.

Translations:

_Kiande amedha chiva_ \- hard meat trial

**Thank you for reading! I truly hope you enjoyed the chapter. I wrote this fic several months ago when I had to take a break from my other story. I never intended on posting it, but I just found it the other day and decided, why not? So far, I've already finished writing about half it, which is around 63k words. Currently it's being edited for posting. Perhaps if anyone is interested I will finish it, but I'm uncertain as to its future for now. **

**Quick Author's Note:**

**Xenomorphs attach themselves to their host's main artery for nutrients, so I'm sure you hardcore fans are wondering how Lex would be able to pull it out of Scar without totally killing him. Well, other than the fact that I'm abusing fan fiction by substituting AVP reality for my own, here is my lame answer; when the xenomorph was removed from Scar's body, it detached itself to attack Lex's hand when it realized it was in danger, thus, (pretending the artery wouldn't kill him from internal bleeding) making it safe for Lex to pull it out. (In theory.) I know, I apologize, but I needed to keep Scar alive. Wouldn't be much a story without him, would it? Besides, it gives them something to bond over. Nothing like a good, excruciatingly medieval-style torture session to bring two people together!**


	2. Chapter 2

.

**.: CHAPTER 2 :.**

o0o

.

There was a certain duality to humans that was both fascinating and perturbing. They were at once incredibly fragile and yet remarkably resilient. They were never one or the other and, at times, it was difficult to pinpoint an exact medium in between with which to label them.

Scar loosened his grip around the small ooman female in his arms, satisfied that she would no longer create such a loud fuss in her sleep now that his purring had seemed to so easily placate her.

Such purring was usually meant to calm much larger and much more dangerous females down in their moments of rage or distress. However, used on such a tiny creature as she, it had nearly sent her comatose.

She seemed so frail it was pathetic, but even he could attest to the immense bravery and fortitude she had displayed during their time together. She had made many honorable kills.

Filled with admiration, he couldn't help but appreciate how marvelous she would have been as his prey had they met under different circumstances. A little shiver ran through him at the thought. Indeed, she would have made an excellent trophy that any yautja would desire mounted on his wall.

Oomans were highly sought after prizes amongst many yautja clans. They were unique prey and highly intelligent, so long as the proper type of ooman was chosen to be hunted. They were as violent as they were beautiful and their technology far surpassed that of any other yautja quarry throughout their quadrant of the galaxy. They were also only a few short centuries away from deep space travel, teetering on the very cusp of evolving into something greater and even more dangerous than they already were. Never had the yautja seen a species that evolved as fast and as cleverly as the humans. Even as time moved on and their ancient civilizations forgot the presence of the predatory aliens who had once taught them how to build and survive, the humans continued to develop regardless. They invented their own tools and technology that, over time, had progressed into what they were today. All in just a few meager centuries.

With such advanced weaponry, it made their species very dangerous to hunt, second only to the xenomorphs as prey. So long as one found a ooman worthy enough of hunting, their smooth skulls and unique weapons made admirable trophies.

His elder brother, always eager to begin a hunt, had slain all the oomans that had lingered at the surface when their group had split, despite Scar's opinion that they were far from worthy of the kill, let alone the energy. But Celtic had been itching for a warm up. Like usual, he'd taken it upon himself to stray from their objective and, unsurprisingly, Chopper had blindly followed their elder brother's lead.

By now, Scar was reluctant to admit his brother had been right in his decision to kill them, as having any more potential _z'skvy-de_ incubators wandering the pyramid would only present further issue to the heavily botched _chiva_.

As Scar slid the small female from his chest and lowered her to the floor, he examined her curiously. She seemed so much more different from the others. He'd watched her lead the other oomans through the pyramid, calm and firm in her mannerisms, suppressing her fear in the moments where it truly counted while others merely screamed in useless panic.

Females were not something he normally hunted, particularly human females. But, indeed, she would have made for a _spectacular_ hunt. He couldn't help but imagine what it would have been like stalking her through the jungles of her planet, scenting her fear and adrenaline pumping through the air.

The mere thought sent forth a deep rumble of delight from his chest.

However, the ache in his upper body reminded him all too well of the feeling of her tiny hand reaching inside him.

Trusting her with such a task had been a decision he was forced to make. He would have preferred to cleanse the hive and make it out of the pyramid in time to remove the abomination before it brought him any further dishonor. But he'd felt it growing more and more active inside him as time went on. It had been getting difficult for him to breathe comfortably as it grew larger. By the time he'd come across her he knew he had to act on it soon. He'd had no choice. To let it emerge from him would bring disgrace to not only him and his brothers, but to his clan as well.

Scar inwardly scolded himself. To think he'd been so careless as to let his guard down long enough to fall victim to such a rookie mistake. He'd only had two choices; either commit ritualistic suicide, or remove the creature himself.

He'd done the only thing he could. He'd chosen life in the hopes that he could somehow salvage this mess the humans had caused by taking their weapons and essentially triggering the Queen's awakening far too early.

Although the larva had been successfully pulled from his body, he was now left with a tremendous pain in his chest that would undoubtedly slow him down in battle.

Not for the first time, he thought back to the little female. Trusting her was his only option. Without her aid he would not have made it another hour with that xenomorph inside him. He would not be standing here at this moment, watching over her as she slept.

He remembered the way her teeth had attempted to tear into its neck to kill it, improvising in the most primal of ways when no weapon was available. Mistake that it was, she had clearly forgotten about the alien's corrosive blood. Even still, she had succeeded, lucking out when her teeth proved too blunt to break its skin, allowing its own hide to protect her mouth as she viciously ripped its throat out. She had snapped her thighs shut over his, shielding him from the acidic drops that would have burned him.

Crouched beside her, his clawed finger carefully reached out to her left thigh and delicately pulled back the torn fabric of her pants. Scar trilled at the sight of the wet, disfigured looking flesh, surrounded by burns that were swollen and red. All this time, she had such wounds and did not even bother to complain once?

His gaze moved to her hand, still gripped tightly around her spear. The burns had melted away some of the skin on the heel of her thumb, both on the top and underside of her palm. It marred her small hand, blistering her dark complexion around the puncture wound that the _z'skvy-de_ inside him had inflicted. She was extremely fortunate to only receive such a tiny singe next to her lips. Had her teeth actually broken the skin of the xenomorph, her mouth would have been disfigured for life.

Looking at the full, lush shape of her lips, he oddly couldn't help but be glad it hadn't. It would have been a shame to spoil such softness, though he was not sure why. He was usually only able to appreciate things for their power and honor, not their frailty.

Scar's head tilted as his eyes began to study the delicate curves of her face, pondering over why she had fought so hard to protect him when he'd fallen unconscious. She could have run. She could have left him to the xenomorphs, taken his weapons and seized the opportunity to retreat to the surface where she would be safe. Yet she hadn't. She had proven to be as fiercely loyal as she was resilient and resourceful, yautja qualities that were as highly regarded as they were desired.

From under his mask, his eyes drifted over the distinct curves hidden beneath the layers of her thick thermal clothing – curves that were easy to recognize as purely female for her species. While her human scent was very alien and different than what he was accustomed to with yautja females, it was still very distinctly feminine.

Inhaling her scent, he found himself growling in satisfaction at the lack of any male stench on her…from the smell of her, she hadn't accepted a male in years. If this female was truly as fierce as she had thus proven herself to be, it was unsurprising that she would snub the hordes of pathetic oomans who would have undoubtedly tried to mate her. Most certainly they would have been far too weak for a specimen of her standing.

Scar couldn't stop the pleased rumble that worked itself from his chest at the clean scent of her, free of the stink of ooman males. Nor could he staunch the annoyed trill that left him at the mere idea of such undeserving males mounting a female such as she. Males like the ones that had surrounded her throughout the pyramid, of whom none of which had been worthy of hunting.

Although he understood very little of their dialect, it wasn't difficult to make out the body language shared amongst them when her back happened to be turned. Not to mention the odor of their pheromones that hinted at arousal when admiring her. He'd never bothered to care about the particulars of human mating rituals, but he did know that males were dominant over the smaller, weaker females. They were larger and more powerful than their fairer counterparts. It was an odd concept to a yautja, whose society was partly governed by females.

Scar had heard tails of oomans being excepted into yautja clan life and hunting alongside them as equals, even going so far as to breed with them. But most of those legends revolved around strong ooman males. A female warrior was something that was extremely rare amongst his kind, even rarer amongst her own as far as he could understand of their society.

Such a female would be a highly sought after prize and would undoubtedly inspire many bloody contests between yautja males to claim her.

He had to push aside the irritating thought of any other warriors catching her eye. He also had to ignore any notions of displaying his trophies before her to win her favor, dominating her to show her his strength and even...mating her. Strangely enough, it sent an irksome itch to tingle at the back of his neck.

_Breed with a human? _

He'd clearly been cooped up in this pyramid for too long.

Glancing down to her sleeping form, Scar suddenly found himself feeling uncharacteristically impatient. Normally he was very calm and collected, but with his body and mind eager to finish his _chiva_ he began to grow restless. He resorted to pacing the length of the room, at once making sure to keep his senses on high alert as he worked the anxiousness out of his muscles.

He was beyond ready to get on with this hunt.

Without word from his brothers, he was left to the conclusion that they had met their demise here in the depths of the pyramid, unblooded and unable to complete their _chiva_. Here, in this place, he had been prevented from protecting them as he always had on their previous hunts together. This was something that had to be done on their own and clearly they'd failed.

While Scar had been the youngest and most solitary hunter of his brethren, he had continually proved to be the sole voice of logic and reason. Though Celtic had been the strongest and bravest of them, he had been cursed since birth with the temper of a mindless and raging beast.

Likewise, Chopper was equally reckless in his own right. He had been far too naïve and careless. He rarely paid any attention to his surroundings and had all the charisma of a newborn suckling. Scar had pampered him far too much in the past, repeatedly bailing him out of undesirable circumstances for the honor of their clan. As a result, Chopper had never learned the price of consequences. He'd evolved into a rather inattentive and oblivious hunter under the shelter of Scar's waning tolerance.

Perhaps if he had allowed him to taste the sting of true failure, Chopper would have focused more on becoming a proper hunter and less on imitating everything their elder brother did like a blind pup. Then again, even Scar knew if he had not offered such lenience, Chopper never would have made it this far in life.

Scar huffed in indignation, riled up now more than ever at the thought of his brothers falling to their own prey.

As if in answer to his restlessness, the pyramid shifted around him. The wall directly behind him folded into itself and opened up a passage that allowed his keen hearing to pick up on the enraged shriek of the Queen deep within the vaults of the monolith. Right away Scar could tell something was off about it.

Earlier in the hunt, when he'd first encountered the ooman female, his hearing had picked up on that same shrill cry as she called her children back to her side.

Scar stalked toward the passageway and strained to listen for another sound. It was then that he noticed a familiar dark form slithering out from the shadows at the end of the hall, catching his eye just as the pyramid's shifting finally came to a halt. Scar turned his head, tresses swinging with the motion as he leveled the alien with a predatory stare. His pulse raced with excitement at the sight of the gridded pattern carved into its glossy carapace. Larger and seemingly higher in intelligence than its sisters, this particular xenomorph had proven to be quite a challenge throughout the entirety of his _chiva_.

Scar growled in challenge and anger as he wondered which of his brothers it must have killed to have come away with such disfiguring wounds. The brief idea that this one xenomorph had quite possibly sent both Celtic and Chopper to their final rest entered his mind.

Rage, hot and scalding, burned inside him.

Broadening his stance and flaring his mandibles slightly under his mask, Scar spread his arms and readied himself to charge.

It was then that his instinct stopped him, the part of him that always remained calculated and sensible when his brothers simply rushed headlong into battle without thought.

_Something isn't right with this_, it told him.

The gridded xenomorph paced back and forth at the end of the passage, hissing and growling impatiently as it continued to taunt Scar.

It was purposefully provoking him.

Calming his rage while simultaneously spreading out his senses, Scar nearly roared in displeasure when he realized it was a trap. It was acting as bait.

Whipping his head around behind him, he found several smaller xenomorph drones stealthily closing in on his sleeping companion.

Silently admiring the cleverness of his prey, Scar swiftly pulled a shuriken from his belt. With a flick of his wrist, it was sent flying through the air before it returned only seconds later. He caught the deadly device with ease and flung the simmering blood from its blades. As Scar tucked it back into his belt, he watched in satisfaction as one of the slobbering creatures hovering above the oblivious ooman came to a sudden standstill.

The alien's body was still poised to strike as the front portion of its skull slipped smoothly from its head and hit the floor with a wet _splat_, its carcass falling over dead soon after.

Realizing that they were caught, the remaining drones slowly backed away and then turned to hastily slink off into the shadows.

Scar looked back to the gridded xenomorph once more. It paced angrily now, throwing tantrum-like hisses over its shoulder as the Queen's voice screamed in its head, forbidding it from attacking now that their plan had been foiled.

Scar pulled his combistick from his back and extended it with a quick flex of his wrist.

Flaring his mandibles again, Scar widened his stance, spread his arms and trilled antagonistically, daring the creature to come at him.

At the sight of the challenge, the drone whipped around on its heel and growled. It stepped forward, as if to charge – only to stop at the last moment as it heard the Queen's furious shrieks.

Its eyeless face seemed to meet the gaze of the predator for one lingering instant. Pulling back its drooling maw to flash its teeth, it threw its head back and let out a promising howl into the dusty air before disappearing into a dark corridor.

Scar's feet started to move of their own accord, instinctively giving chase. He could already imagine the satisfaction of ripping its head from its body in revenge and mounting its skull on his wall.

However, the startled cry that sounded from behind him suddenly reminded him of his companion and his unspoken agreement to watch over her. The gridded drone's scream had undoubtedly awakened her and the sight of the mutilated xenomorph corpse laying inches from her face had likely prompted her startled cry.

Scar roared in fury as he turned and slammed his fist into the wall in an uncharacteristic display of anger.

The little ooman looked up at him, her big eyes wide and alarmed at his sudden and rather violent outburst.

It took him nearly a full minute to get calmed down, but even then he was still on edge. He could practically feel his blood boiling under the surface.

When he abruptly remembered the female's presence, he turned to her sharply and was pleased to see not an ounce of fright on her face. Instead, there was nothing but understanding radiating from her.

Gathering her spear and shield, she stood up and proceeded to step over the corpse that lay before her.

"Let's get the motherfuckers," she said with a dark look in her eyes. She walked past him without another word, seeming to comprehend the reason behind his sudden frustration.

Scar clicked his mandibles as another shiver of exhilaration traveled up his spine at her no-nonsense attitude. He watched curiously as she headed towards the same corridor the gridded drone had disappeared in, apparently as eager to make a kill as he was.

How very different she was from the rest of her kind…

This ooman was not running from her enemy, but facing it instead.

Just as he registered his excitement, he became equally filled with a level of competition. He took a quick tally in his head and was shocked to find she already had two full kills on him.

Snapping his combistick back into its retracted form, Scar growled under his breath at the mere idea of it all.

Catching the resentful sound, the small female whipped her head around and gave the alien a _look _that, even though he'd never seen it on a human before, he somehow instinctually knew that it was not to be trifled with. Still tucking his combistick into its strap on his back, Scar froze mid-step when she pinned him with her defiant stare and raised her eyebrow.

"Did you say something?" she asked a bit too calmly, her face totally expressionless. Despite not understanding a word she said, even Scar could detect the edge in her tone, causing him to hesitate.

She couldn't possibly have known what he was thinking…could she?

Releasing a scoff, he shook his head and stalked past her, scolding himself for ever considering such a ridiculous thing and even caring about it in the first place.

However, the way she placed a hand on her hip and glared at him as he walked by really made him wonder.

Females…apparently they were all the same no matter one's species…

.

o0o

.

Finding Sebastian had been something Lex wasn't prepared for.

Seeing the archeologist strung up in that nest of resin and forced to act as an incubator to spawn their parasitic offspring, it had sent her into momentary hysterics.

She had wanted to save him so bad, but it was already too late.

She'd pushed Scar away, refusing to let him kill Sebastian before she could even try to help the suffering man. However, she could see now that she had only been prolonging his pain by trying to devise a way to save him. For a single desperate moment, she actually considered the same barbaric operation that she had been forced to perform in order save Scar's life, but Lex knew it was a lost cause. No human could survive something like that, not without proper medical care.

Lex had pulled and pried at the hard adhesive that trapped him against the wall, all to no avail. It was his pleas to her that brought everything back into focus, allowing her to remember the silent pledge she'd made to herself.

_Don't let them reach the surface. _

Apparently, he wanted the same thing. He made her promise.

The last words he ever heard were, '_I'm sorry'_.

Lex hated herself after she'd pulled the trigger.

Dazedly, she dropped the slime covered Desert Eagle to the floor, a sense of failure filling her as she left the room. She could hardly stand the heavy stench of death permeating throughout the xenomorph's hive. It felt more like a crypt with all the bodies hanging off the walls.

When Scar showed her the device attached to his wrist gauntlet, trilling as he made a simple 'exploding' gesture with his hand, Lex realized this was the place he had been searching for during their time together in the pyramid. He'd been hunting for the den where the drones had taken the eggs.

He was going to blow it up.

Lex couldn't help the hard shiver of excitement that ran down her body at the thought of obliterating the loathsome creatures.

"_I hope it kills every fucking one of them_," she had said vehemently.

Scar had tilted his head in curiosity at the vengeful sneer that curved her lips, his gaze trailing after her as she turned from the room. She waited for him as he threw the device deep into the nest of eggs just as they began to bloom open at sensing potential new incubators nearby.

Running from the impending blast took the last of Lex's reserves. She was drained, but she pushed herself to her limit and ignored the harsh pain radiating through her hand and thigh.

When they reached the tunnel that led to the surface, Lex felt her heart drop straight to the pit of her stomach as she touched the controls of the sled, only to find them covered in a thick, slime coating. She turned to Scar, about to shout out a warning, when the sight of a waiting hoard of aliens gathered behind them stole her breath away.

Her lips moved in a facsimile of speech, but her words were stolen when one of them jumped down from the ceiling and landed atop him, sending him to his knees with the weight of its heavy, chitin covered body.

Taken off guard, Scar let out a loud roar of pain as one of their black, barbed tails pierced his shoulder.

Lex's eyes widened as his blood sprayed through the air, a few drops splattering her face. The sight caused a deep, resounding fear to crawl over every inch of her flesh…as well as a seething hatred. Scar's body had undergone so much duress so far, and the mere sight of another alien spilling his blood sent her hackles rising in ferocity.

She had not made it this far only have them begrudge her his life. She had fought too hard to protect him to give up now.

Hauling a heavy drill gun from the pile of construction equipment, Lex swung the long barrel around, leveled the alien with an unforgiving stare and fired. The feel of the recoil jerking her body, as well as the pleasing view of the giant hole she'd blasted through the alien's head, sent a satisfying thrill through her chest.

Scar stood quickly, shaking its corpse from his massive frame before its blood could do any further damage. Pivoting on his heel with amazing speed and an impressive amount of agility for one so large, he extended his wrist blades and slashed through the neck of another drone just as it sprung forth to attack. Acidic blood surged from the wound, prompting him to quickly sidestep to avoid being burnt as its body dropped to the floor, writhing and hissing as it died.

Lex threw the drill to the floor, reluctant to admit there were far too many to handle.

When a large drone launched itself forward, scarred with a web of green lines on its skull, it knocked Scar clean off his feet and sent him careening backwards into the hard, icy wall behind them. The walls of the cavern shook and crumbled under the force of the collision and Lex cried out as their clashing bodies flew by a little too close for comfort, knocking her off balance and tossing her smaller body to the floor just from the sheer impact of the warring beasts.

Rushing forward to help, Lex was jerked back unexpectedly by a long, spiny tail. It wrapped itself around her middle and slammed her to the ground. It knocked the wind right out of her, causing her spear to fall limply out of her hand.

Her vision blurred as, much to her horror, the alien slowly began lifting her. She blindly searched for a weapon, her eyes scanning the area desperately while her hands scoured the icy ground, clawing around for something, _anything_, to grab. She did not have the raw power of either of these aliens and without something to defend herself, she was at their mercy. She felt herself begin to panic, but quickly pushed it down. She had to stay calm and think clearly if she ever wanted to get out of this.

When her eyes landed on an ax lying a foot away, her arm shot out, reaching for it. The moment her fingers wrapped around the thick wooden handle, she clenched her abs and spun her body fully around, putting all her weight into the swing. Lex slammed the ax into its head, using all the force behind the momentum of her body.

Too late, she realized she had hit the creature with the blunt end of the hatchet. It had completely failed to penetrate the alien's hard armor coating. Though it didn't do much damage, the attack had done well to daze it and it stumbled back, effectively stunned.

Feeling its tail loosen, Lex quickly untangled herself and prepared to deliver the finishing blow when the sight of another drone sneaking up on a distracted Scar caught her eye. It was crawling along the wall, creeping ever closer to the preoccupied predator. Busy wrestling with the gridded drone, he did not notice the smaller alien charging him from behind.

Lex acted fast, her body moving on pure impulse rather than thought.

The tightly packed snow underfoot crunched beneath the pressure of her heels as she darted forward, snatching up her spear as she moved.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a wide shower of acidic blood fill the air. It melted the walls around Scar as his massive arms bulged and heaved, tearing the head clean off the gridded drone with his bare hands. Its spine emerged right out of its body, still attached to its head, wrenched out from the sheer force of the decapitation. Lex's entire being shivered in fear and awe as his bloodcurdling roar of victory shook the snow covered walls, sending chills into her very soul.

With adrenaline pulsing hard through her veins, things seemed to warp into slow motion when the smaller drone suddenly pounced for his unguarded back. It pulled her attention away from the scene she had just witnessed and brought her hastily back to reality. Without hesitation, Lex lifted her spear and launched it forward with all her might.

It soared through the air and she prayed it wouldn't miss its target.

She watched with bated breath, held in a tense moment of anticipation. When it struck the drone directly in the chest, knocking it off-course and into the icy wall of the cavern, she felt her heart leap in triumph. Satisfied that her accuracy hadn't been too far off, Lex ran forward, intending to finish it off.

Single-minded in her actions, she paid no heed to its thrashing body and leapt directly onto it to keep it from escaping. She grabbed the shaft of her spear and put all her body weight into it. Her arms shook and her feet skidded in the snow as she fought the superior strength of the alien struggling to get free.

Desperate now, its tail lashed out.

Lex cursed her own stupidity for forgetting about that particular part of their anatomy. She was barely able to avoid having her face impaled. She could do little more than dodge and duck, scarcely evading each strike.

Not quite thinking her next move through properly, she lifted one her hands and with reflexes that were just barely fast enough she grabbed its tail as it struck out again. It immobilized it well enough, but she instantly regretted it as her other arm was now left bear the force of its strength alone.

She was stuck. She'd disabled its movements, but her hands were clearly tied; one arm struggling to keep the alien pinned with her spear, the other keeping a tight grip on its dangerous tail.

Seeing her plight, the alien raised its head and, with a mocking hiss, suddenly jerked its tail down, stabbing her hand with its barbed spurs.

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ What was she thinking?

Lex cried out in pain. To top it off, it was her injured hand that was already weakened from that little bastard she'd pulled out of Scar's chest. She had gloves on, but they were a sparse buffer to the sharp prongs pressing into her flesh.

When it sent her another mocking growl, boiling anger reared its head inside her.

"You bitch!" she exclaimed. "Laugh at this!"

Abruptly releasing its tail, Lex swiftly pulled out the dagger that she'd securely tucked into her belt, the very one she had 'borrowed' from Scar. She leaned all her weight into the spear to make sure it couldn't flee, lifted her arm and slammed the blade down on into its neck.

The alien instantly went limp.

With its body speared to the wall, its head slowly slumped off to the side as its arms and legs and tail followed suit.

Lex's breathing was ragged and the muscles in her arms were shaking from the immense exertion of the struggle. She teetered a bit on her feet before catching her balance again, stepping back with a gratifying kick to the alien's dead carcass.

When Lex turned around she was taken aback to see the mass of corpses on the ground in front of her. Scar stood with his back to her, having purposefully placed himself between her and the others. She watched as he pulled his combistick free of its latest victim, giving it a gruesome twist to finish off the last of them before turning to her.

That was when she realized…he had her back…just as she had his.

He'd protected her.

Stepping towards her, he scrutinized her closely, trilling to himself in confusion as he glanced from her to the sled and then back again. The question hanging in the air was clear; _why didn't she leave him?_ _Why did she stay?_

She'd had the perfect opportunity to escape. Yet she hadn't. And he couldn't understand why.

Lex couldn't help the small smirk that lifted one corner of her lips.

"Really…you should know by now I'm not leaving you behind," she said as she pulled her spear out from the xenomorph's chest and stepped around him, unable to stop her smile from widening.

The startling sound of an explosion ripping through centuries' worth of ice cut the moment short. It snapped their attention in the direction of the noise, halting any further thought of conversing.

The bomb had just gone off.

In the distance, Lex could see the dark outline of the pyramid begin to light up through cracks and splinters that were suddenly appearing on its surface. Just as it grew blindingly bright, it exploded.

Without a single moment to spare they ran to the sled and Lex promptly punched in the input code on the control panel, her fingers shaking in her haste. They jumped onto it at the last second and took off into the tunnel just as the scorching hot tongues of fire burst through the cavern and licked at their feet. The speed of the sled's take off nearly caused Lex to lose her grip entirely, accelerating faster and faster as they ascended. Air, cold and biting, whipped past them as they drew closer to the surface.

The inferno followed them every inch of the way, threatening to swallow them whole. Just when she thought she was going to lose her hold and fall into the cloud of flames at their heel, they burst through the surface, the sheer velocity of their speed spitting them high into the air.

Lex hit the ground running. She didn't even bothering to look back as she felt the immense heat and pressure from the explosion erupt from the tunnel behind her.

Under foot, the ground crumbled and cracked as she bolted for safety. Adrenaline surged through her veins, pushing her to run faster as the old wooden structures of the whaling station collapsed around her. When she dared to glance over her shoulder she was stunned to find Scar a good ten feet behind her. He was lagging behind, his internal wounds slowing him down considerably.

"Scar!" she called out harshly, her tone promising him a good nagging if he didn't pick his pace up soon.

Hearing his answering roar of indignation, she was relieved when he finally reached her side. However, her relief was short lived as a large fracture splintered the ice in front of them. It opened the earth up, creating a substantial gap between them and safety. The ground beneath them began to sink and fall into the massive pit of the explosion.

With her heart in her throat, Lex lunged forward and released a hard gasp as she landed on the other side.

For a split second she felt a welling sense of dread rise up inside her, twisting her guts as she wondered if Scar had made it. The heavy sound of his feet landing right next to her head instantly quelled her worries and she sighed, yet again, in relief.

He'd made it.

They both had.

With Scar beside her, she pushed to her feet and turned to gaze out over the enormous crater that was left behind. The pyramid had been completely obliterated. The smoke plume reached for miles into the sky. Debris was scattered all around them and the few remaining buildings that had actually withstood the aftershock of the explosion were on fire.

_It was over._

The bright moon hung in the sky above, lighting the rubble filled basin in front of her. No longer was it the same hunter's moon that she had seen on the night she'd first entered the pyramid. While it was only partially full now, it still radiated an impressive brilliance in the crisp air, shrouded only by the smoke that darkened the atmosphere.

It was eerily silent. After such a harrowing experience it felt odd to be surrounded by the dead calm of the Arctic. There was something disturbing about the quiet. It wasn't peaceful or serene. It was heavy and surreal. It allowed the reality of what she'd just survived settle over her in a most unwelcoming way.

Glancing over at her companion, she found him staring down into the wreckage, as equally silent as the night that surrounded them.

Lex stepped closer to him and looked up into his masked face, the hushed crackle of burning wood the only sound to be heard.

His locks swung slightly as he turned to her, the now familiar sound of clicking reaching her ears. She said nothing as she stood before him, each of them wordlessly regarding the other. There was a certain air of respect that hung between them now, as if they understood each other better for their shared experiences, brought together through battle and bloodshed.

It was a bond that was somehow stronger than anything she'd ever felt before.

When he reached up and began to detach the hoses along his mask, Lex remained quiet, but felt a growing sense of curiosity well up inside her. As he pulled the tubes free, they released a high pitched hiss that ebbed out only seconds later. Despite having seen his face earlier in the pyramid, it had been from afar and it was only a paltry glance. To see him up close…Lex could not help herself as she found her head unconsciously dipping forward a small bit in equal parts anticipation and nervousness.

The moment he pulled his mask away she stopped breathing. Only now did she realize just how much that obscured view she'd previously gotten did not do him justice.

Just as her eyes began to roam his face, he suddenly let out a hair raising roar, testing her nerve. While she gasped silently from the mere unexpectedness of it, Lex could do little more than stare up into his eyes. There were no words capable of describing the thoughts and emotions she felt in that instant. Her human reflexes wanted to flinch back, but she easily hardened her composure. She kept expecting a flood of fear to rise to the surface at any second. She kept waiting for a 'normal' reaction to kick in, but it never did.

Perhaps if it were any other occasion she would have been afraid. But as she stood before him, she could not stop herself from leaning forward a bit more to examine the alien features he presented. The broad crown of his head, the large mandibles framing his mouth, the surprisingly sharp tusks poised at the end of those mandibles, and even the terrifyingly razor sharp teeth of his lipless mouth…all of this seemed to pale in comparison to his otherworldly eyes.

Deep amber in color and terrifyingly intelligent, the intensity they radiated took her breath away.

For some reason, Lex felt her heart leap in her chest.

Momentarily lost in his eyes, she pulled herself back to attention when he reached down to his belt and tugged free an alien finger he'd taken as a trophy. He lifted it before her, letting her see the toxic green blood coating its tip.

When she noticed the mark burnt into his own forehead, Lex understood immediately. Without resistance, she willingly turned her head and offered her cheek in a concession that was as full of trust as it was respect. Scar trilled quietly in approval, apparently pleased with her acceptance. As he raised the claw to her face, Lex had to close her eyes against the burning pain she felt when it touched her skin.

However, even through the stinging pain, Lex felt something spark to life inside her. It felt ancient and primal and _proud_. It was then, as he marked her, that she began to understand him a little better. Indeed, he was a creature built for battle. From the unusual quills that outlined his brow and cheekbones, to his brutish muscles, to his clear intelligence, right down to the deadly talons on his fingers; every bit of him was made to kill. But she somehow knew that his essence couldn't be defined in human terms. It would be pointless to even try. She couldn't look at the acts he'd committed in the pyramid as murder, as something human.

There was no way that she would justify it, neither did she believe that it was right. But now, at least she understood _why_.

The acidic blood sizzled over her tender cheek as he finished with one last stroke. Lex did well to show no signs of discomfort. She merely released a soft breath just as the stench of her charred flesh drifted away on the breeze.

He pulled back, eyeing the newly inscribed mark of honor that he had carved into her flesh with his own hand. Trilling, Scar bowed his head in gesture of respect that had Lex filling with pride.

How many humans had the privilege of being acknowledged by someone of his kind? She suspected very little.

The stinging radiating throughout her cheek suddenly felt good to her. It made her feel alive and strong and like a _survivor_.

Like a warrior.

Still…as she stared up into those amber eyes a sense of sadness fell over her.

He would leave her now. He'd go back to his people and go about his life, as would she. Something inside her rebelled at the idea, but her practical mind knew how impossible it was to think otherwise. Though, she wasn't exactly sure why she would want to think otherwise in the first place. They'd been through so much together. They'd learned to trust each other and protect one another when things had gotten too dicey for either of them to deal with on their own.

_I'm going to miss you…_

The words were on the very tip of her tongue, but she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to say them, let alone understand _why_ she wanted to say them. If it wasn't for him and his brethren, none of this would have happened in the first place. However, a bond had been formed regardless of the circumstances and it pained her now to think of breaking it.

His head cocked in that familiar fashion, his mandibles clicking in question to the hurt that had suddenly washed over her dark eyes. Soft flurries of snow drifted between them and caught in her hair as she began to lift her hand.

"Scar…" she hesitated, unsure if it was wise to touch him. "I-"

The deep rumble of fracturing ice pulled their attention away from one another. Snapping their heads towards the sound, both Scar and Lex widened their eyes in shock at the sight of the Queen bursting through the rubble, screaming her fury.

Scar's mandibles flared with a low trill of alarm while Lex instantly curled her body up in a defensive posture, unable to fathom how anything could have survived that blast. She could hardly process the size of the alien before her, causing her mind to reel as it straightened up to its full height. Chains hung from the Queen's body, tangled around her arms and chest and crest. They rattled with every move she made, the quiet chime a prelude to death. She was as gracefully beautiful as she was monstrously petrifying. Large and imposing, she easily stood seventeen feet tall.

_She must have been the one responsible for laying all those eggs_, Lex thought to herself and then abruptly scolded herself for allowing her mind to wander at such a time.

Releasing another roar of resentment, she lowered her stature and stalked forward with her arms spread, exaggerating her size and displaying the true extent of her ire. Her advance forced them back. With each step their minds scrambled for a strategy to take on such a massive enemy, but she afforded them no time for such a luxury. Within striking range, she reared back to lash out.

Centuries' worth of hatred for the predator's kind boiled inside of her, leading her to instantly zero in on the larger of the two.

Mandibles still flared, Scar cocked his wrist blades and lifted his arm before firing. The shot grazed her shoulder and she shrieked in pain. Trying to get as many hits in as possible before she got too close, he quickly pulled out a shuriken. Its blades flicked out with an ominous _shlink_ before he threw it forward with deft ease. With her head already thrown back from her howl of pain, it successfully sliced through the underside of her neck before returning to his hand. Not wasting moment, he instantly threw it back out to slash off a one of the tips of her magnificent crown.

As it returned once more, Scar lifted his arm to retrieve the weapon.

Enraged, she lashed out with her tail. It rammed his chest and sent him flying straight over Lex's head, crashing many yards away into a pile of debris. The attack had hit him hard, right where she'd pulled a larva from his torso not even a full day ago. Lex watched as he staggered to his knees, clearly struggling with the agony dealt to his wounded chest and unaware of the Queen closing in on him. Seeing the predator regaining his balance, she whipped her tail forward mercilessly and slammed him in the back, unwilling to let him recover before she could reach him to finish the job. It was clear by the way she went for him that she didn't even care to make him suffer. The yautja race, enslaver of her kind, murderers of her children...she just wanted him _dead_.

The whip-like appendage thrashed out and hit his back, intentionally striking the area where his wounds were worst. The collision sent him face first into the ground where he waivered for a moment before becoming very still.

Lex realized with no small amount of panic that he wasn't getting back up.

She watched the Queen come to a stop over him, her tail slinking forward to hover above his unmoving form.

No other thoughts entered Lex's mind other than her will to protect.

Her wounds suddenly didn't hurt anymore. Her injured hand didn't protest as she tightened her grip on her spear. Her burned thigh didn't sting as she put all her weight into her legs, and her weary body no longer felt so weary.

Lex charged forward, knowing exactly where she wanted to strike.

As she reached the back of the Queen, she dropped to the icy ground, using her momentum and the slick earth to slide underneath her. Heaving back up to her feet, she used the force of her legs to plunge the spear deep into her belly.

The Queen screamed in agony and reared up on her hind legs. She pitched backwards, clawing at the weapon lodged in her body. When the massive alien toppled over onto a burning building, Lex was flung halfway across the field as if she weighed little more than a grain of sand.

The human felt her shoulders and back instantly bruise as she landed hard on the ice, sliding another twenty feet before finally skidding to a stop.

However, as she stumbled to her feet, the distinct sizzle coming from her breast pulled her attention to her smoking jacket. Unhooking the clasps in a frenzy, she scrambled out of her red coat and threw it aside. The moment it hit the ground, she lifted her head, her eyes widening in fear as she saw the Queen pull herself from the rubble and smack the spear from her chest.

For everything Lex had faced in the pyramid, she realized she had not known the true meaning of terror until the Queen leveled her eyeless gaze solely upon her…while she stood utterly defenseless. She turned and ran, but the Queen covered the ground between them fast and was upon her in mere seconds. Daring a glance backwards, she instantly regretted it when she saw the Queen's inner jaw snap out, hungry to taste the back of her head.

Lex ducked and swerved, her efforts barely keeping her head on her shoulders. Seeing a pile of whale bones ahead, she shifted her feet and darted into the massive skeleton. The ribs only offered a meager shelter as the Queen plowed through them, barely slowing down.

With nowhere else to go, Lex dived under the first thing she saw: a very ancient looking water tower. It was rickety and the wood was splintered with age. Tucking herself as far underneath it as she could, Lex's heart lodged in her throat when she turned to see the Queen not slowing down, but speeding up.

Her massive crown rammed the structure, nearly knocking it clear off its hinges. Dust and snow rained down on Lex as the impact shook everything in sight. Single-minded in her rage, the Queen lowered her head and charged the tower again and again. She slammed and clawed at Lex's dilapidated fortress, desperate to get at her prey.

Pulse pounding in her ears, Lex's hands scrambled around, blindly searching for a weapon of any kind but finding none.

Unarmed and trapped under a fast crumbling water tower, she felt the cold reality of death creeping up on her.

A cry of shock escaped her lips when the barbed tail of the alien Queen stabbed into the wood only an inch from her head. Her body shook with fear as it pulled back and struck again, whizzing by with deadly speed. She dodged and stooped, evading it as best she could.

Finally, the Queen pushed the top of the tower far enough back to get a clear strike. Her large maw quivered as she exposed her inner jaws, gracing her prey with its last horrific sight before the final blow.

Frantically trying to find an escape, Lex's eyes landed on a small shack to the left, directly behind the Queen. Bodies of her crewmen were strung up throughout its deck, their white overcoats stained red with blood. Too distracted with survival to cringe at the morbidity of it, all she could think of was how the members of her team had been armed to the teeth with guns and ammo.

Using her size to her advantage, Lex bent low and sprung forward underneath the Queen's body just as her inner jaw shot out. She felt it graze her hair and realized just how close of a call it had been.

Pushing her legs to their max, she sprinted across the small patch of snow between the tower and the building and burst through the frail wood of the door with her shoulder, landing roughly in a cloud of dust. She coughed and sputtered but lurched to her feet regardless, searching for anything that even remotely resembled a weapon. Her arms wildly pushed over stacks of boxes and research equipment, dumping their contents unceremoniously onto the floor. There had to be something somewhere! She'd been so disapproving of their decision to bring guns in the first place, but now she was practically praying for one.

Irony, cold and cruel, must have been laughing at her.

"Damn it!" she cried in frustration and slammed her fist down onto an old wooden table. There was nothing!

The Queen's shrieks called to her from outside as she searched for her prey, raging and ranting at the injustice of her disappearance.

With one last angered outburst, Lex kicked a large trunk in aggravation. The boxes stacked atop it wobbled briefly before falling over, exposing the big bold letters printed on its lid reading,

_WASP 58_, **ROCKET LAUNCHER**

_Research project, my ass_, was Lex's first thought before she quickly shoved the rest of the boxes off and unlatched its lid. When she threw the cover back, she never thought she'd be so happy to see something as violent as the piece of weaponry perched before her. Nestled cozily in black foam, the rocket launcher's smooth surface twinkled back at her in the sparse light of the shed.

She had to resist the urge to lean down and kiss it. However, as she reached out to retrieve the firearm, chunks of the ceiling collapsed on her and knocked her to the floor. The Queen had found her. Her roar of conquest reached into the dark sky above as she swiped at the roof with her long outer arms. Old and fragile, the structure crumbled under her assault like stale bread. A heavy section of wood fell on Lex's legs, pinning her, and another hit her temple hard, nearly knocking her out cold.

Laying on her back and staring up through the hole in the roof, Lex groaned, her body aching all over and her vision swimming in and out of focus.

Snow fell soundly on her face and sprinkled her curly hair as the ramparts continued to crumble down around her.

Hovering overhead was the Queen. Her wide crown blocked out the falling snow, growing ever closer until all Lex could see was black. The alien wasted no time teasing her prey this time. Quite suddenly, she wrenched herself forward to deliver the finishing blow.

Lex had heard that in moments of death one's life flashed before their eyes. With plenty of close calls on her adventures and rock climbing excursions, she'd never experienced any life altering visions. She had never believed it to be true. But now, seeing the inner jaws of this alien creature moving in on her with frightening speed, images of climbing Mount Everest with her father came to mind. Pictures played out like a movie behind her eyes; growing up, her first car, random memories in a playground she didn't even remember, movie night with her father, leading her first expedition. Surprisingly enough, the events inside the pyramid were very prevalent – likely since it was her latest and freshest living memories.

Scar's face came to mind and a soft smile touched her lips as she consoled herself in the knowledge that she had fulfilled her promise and protected him. He got out alive and now, hopefully with this sacrifice, he would be able to get back to his people and go on living. She could only pray that his people would exterminate the beast before her…she didn't want these aliens reaching civilization.

They would annihilate everything she'd ever known.

Staring up into the face of death, Lex's breath caught in her throat as Scar's presence suddenly appeared from nowhere. Like nothing she'd ever seen before, he moved through the air, his hulking form as lethal as it was graceful and swift. He twisted his body once and, using the powerful momentum behind the sharp movement, dealt a precise and deadly blow. With one efficient strike he had impaled the Queen straight through her skull with his combistick, stopping her jaw just as it grazed Lex's forehead.

She howled in anguish and stumbled back, thrashing and floundering in desperation to remove the offending device lodged in her brain.

His roar was a strange comfort to her ears, but she couldn't bring herself to get up.

Every part of her felt like it wanted to give out.

Outside she could hear him battling the mighty foe that was the Queen.

For a good long moment, Lex wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and go to sleep. She was so tired…

It was just as her lashes began to droop and her vision began to tunnel that another roar snatched her from that calming darkness. His face came to mind again, with those amber eyes and unusual mandibles. They had gone through so much to reach this point…too much to give up now.

She had not survived that hellhole only to pass out from exertion at a pivotal point like this! She would be _damned_ if she didn't get her ass up and fulfill her vow to put a stop to those creatures here and now.

With much protest from her body, Lex hissed and flinched as she staggered to her knees and crawled over to the trunk. Her arms sloppily shoved off the debris that had fallen over it.

She pulled the heavy piece of artillery from its foam-cased dwelling and jammed the cartridge into place.

It was only one shot…but one was plenty enough.

Limping out onto the destroyed deck, Lex bent to one knee and took a few seconds to catch her breath before hauling the massive rocket launcher onto her shoulder.

Just ahead of her, Scar was evading the Queen's deadly tail as he fought her with the last of his weapons. Within moments, he'd gotten her into a position that was open enough for a clear shot.

"Scar!" she shouted out in warning.

Both predator and alien turned at the sound of her voice.

Scar's eyes widened at the sight of the tiny human holding the huge rocket launcher. Though it was an unexpected development, he understood her intention and quickly got out of the way.

With the Queen's full attention directed at Lex, her imposing form stalked forward to dispose of the bothersome human. As she closed in, her head tilted to and fro in confusion, bewildered as to why her prey refused to run from her charge.

"Eat this…you bitch."

Lex's finger squeezed the trigger.

Although there was surprisingly little recoil, in her weakened state Lex's body lurched backwards from the rebound, causing her to land on her behind. The launcher was loud in her ear and, having never fired such a destructive weapon before, it was all Lex could do not to scream in shock. The right side of the Queen's chest exploded in a spray of blood and tissue before she even realized the missile had left the barrel, even before she could realize her backside had hit the wooden planks underfoot.

Shrugging the launcher from her shoulder, she pushed herself to her feet, dismayed at the realization she had missed her intended target: the Queen's head. However, the blast had apparently done plenty of damage, considering the Queen was currently hunched in the snow, shrieking in unthinkable agony.

_Why couldn't she just die!_

It was then that she noticed the chains were still trailing behind the Queen's body...

The water tower Lex had hid under was not far away, teetering on the edge of the bluff about to fall into the sea...

Without waiting, the woman rushed forward and snagged the chain up from the ground. With all her might she heaved at the shackles, trying to pull the Queen close enough to the nozzle of the tower.

But she wasn't remotely strong enough.

Lex realized distraughtly that if this didn't work, she didn't know what else to do.

When Scar's broad back suddenly stepped in front of her, his hands grabbing hold of the chains to give a single, powerful haul, Lex was both relieved for his help and stunned by his strength as he successfully brought the alien's massive form several feet closer.

Quickly turning, she wrapped the Queen's shackles of imprisonment around the spigot.

The insistent tugging seemed to pull the Queen out of her throes of misery, and Lex's hands began to shake as she turned her crowned head towards them and released a roar of vengeance. The tight pressure on the chains lessened when she started to move closer, granting easier manipulation.

It allowed Lex to hastily finish knotting them in place.

"Got it!" she announced as their efforts paid off at last. Giving a final twist to the shackles, she stepped back from the tower and turned to Scar, tasting victory just inches from their grasp.

She wasn't expecting to be met with the sight of the Queen's tail suddenly emerging from his chest.

Lex's heart literally stalled. For a single frozen moment in time, she watched, totally helpless, as the barbed tail of the Queen skewered the only companion she'd had in this nightmare.

His green blood sprayed outwards, staining the white snow around them. Lex felt her heart clench in her chest as his body jerked from the impact. Slowly, he looked down to the offending object that was impaling him.

"_No,_" Lex breathed uselessly, her eyes wide and brimming with tears.

A horror-filled shudder ran throughout her entire being as the Queen began to lift him from the ground. Lex quickly realized if she didn't do something immediately, he'd be killed right before her eyes.

Frantically, she searched for anything she could use but the tears were blurring everything in sight and the deep, forlorn sadness washing over her clouded her judgment.

Just as hope began to fade, there, beside the tower, was an old whaler's spear.

She grabbed it without hesitation and turned to the last remaining bolt holding the tower in place. She knew that she alone could not take the Queen on and save him with nothing but a spear. Getting her to release him was his only hope.

Shoving the tip under the rivet, she pushed and pried at it, glancing back to see him hanging before her drooling maw, mandibles spread and facing his doom head-on.

Leaning forward and putting all of her body weight behind the motion, she jerked the rod down. Finally, the bolt snapped in its fastener and popped out just in time.

Like a domino effect, the tower went down first and then took the Queen with it, flinging Scar clear across the field from the pure momentum of her body being wrenched sideways.

She clawed and scraped with everything in her being, trying to get at Lex and drag the human with her. She had already mortally wounded the predator, the one who'd blown up her precious hive. He would undoubtedly die. She would not go down without at least taking the female with her, the very one who had killed so many of her children alongside the hunter and even maimed her body.

Lex flinched back as her inner jaws snapped out again and again, nearly reaching her face. Weakened by her wounds, her talons ripped apart the wooden planks as she was slowly dragged closer to edge of the cliff by the weight of the tower.

Lex frowned as she watched. There was a very real possibility that this creature would not die even it sank all the way to the bottom of the ocean's icy depths. Frozen was not enough for Lex, trapped by the crushing depths of the ocean was not enough, chained to an inescapable fate was not enough…not for Lex.

Only death would serve to sate her fury. Killing this beast was the only way to bring peace to her mind, to know she would not rise again and reach civilization.

The image of her crew – a crew that she'd been responsible for – flashed through her mind. Images; of them being dragged off one by one, of greedy old Weyland sacrificing himself for them, of shooting Sebastian in the head to end his suffering, of the Queen's tail emerging from Scar's body…all of it suddenly surfaced.

With a fierce battle cry, Lex held out the whaling spear and charged forward. She leapt towards the struggling Queen, landing on her skull with her feet straddling each side of her regal crown. Her tail instantly lashed out, eager to run the human through.

She hadn't even seen it coming, but when the barbed appendage gouged deep into her right side, Lex felt all the air sucked straight from her lungs. Pain like she'd never known before shot through her entire body. It was excruciating in its intensity and sent a blinding whiteness to momentarily overtake her vision. The sheer, unadulterated power of her tail had nearly knocked her off her feet.

It was a laborious fight to simply stay upright, but she refused to give in…not now. Not ever.

She was going to end this.

Releasing a mighty scream into the night, Lex raised the spear high above her head and plunged it down deep into the Queen's brain, her entire body shaking with the strength she had invested in the attack.

The Queen instantly stilled.

The sudden halt of her constant shrieks was a startling change. The echoes of her howls seemed to haunt the silent sky, the quiet near deafening.

Feeling the alien's powerful body twitch one last time beneath her feet, Lex straightened her back and grabbed hold of the spear, forcing it further into her brain with one last exhausting push, just to be sure.

Then, a rather sweet sound filled the air; the sound of nothing.

It was done. It was finally over.

_She was dead_.

Staggering on her feet, she managed to catch herself on the pole of the spear before she could fall over. Weakly, she pulled the Queen's barbed tail out of her side with a nasty squelch.

Suddenly very dizzy, Lex dropped to her knees and raised her head.

"It's over..." she whispered.

With her lungs full of the cold arctic air, her hushed voice slowly died out on the breeze as the moon silently watched from above.

_Scar!_ Her mind abruptly reminded her of the wounded hunter, pulling her out of her reverie.

She felt her balance shift as the corpse she stood upon suddenly began to drop over the cliff. In the frigid environment, rigor mortis had set in unnaturally fast with the alien, stiffening her body and causing her extremities to begin curling in on themselves. Lex turned, her legs wobbling as she slid off the Queen's slippery skull, and not a moment too late. The second her feet touched the ground, the Queen's body plummeted to the icy depths below.

She paid no mind the loud splash that subsequently followed, marking the moment the alien corpse hit the water. Her eyes immediately began searching for him, turning every which way in a slight haze of panic. She looked for traces of that florescent green blood, listened for a hint of a trill, hunted for a glimpse of his mottled skin…anything. What if she had been too late?

A soft green glow caught Lex's eye and she hesitantly stepped towards the small drop of his blood. Ahead of it was another drop, and then another. She followed the trail that led back to him, the blood splatters growing thicker and more numerous the closer she edged.

Seeing his large form lying in the snow gave her pause, fearing the worst.

Holding her bleeding abdomen, she limped forward and knelt by his side. Tears hung from her lashes when she saw his eyes watching her. She gave a shuddering breath, thankful that he was alive. But then her gaze traveled down his body.

The gaping hole in his middle was impossible to miss.

Lex leaned forward, her hands hovering over him, clenching and unclenching her fists as she scoured her mind, trying to think of some way to help. She didn't know what to do. Even if his anatomy was the same as hers there was nothing she could do to help him.

"_Scar…_" she uttered brokenly. Slowly, that perfect composure she had always prided herself on began to crumble. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off his wound, as if she could make it go away just by staring at it long enough and wishing hard enough for it to disappear.

His weak purr snapped her eyes back to his, the sound at once soothing and reassuring. Reaching up, his knuckle gently caressed her cheek where he'd marked her before dropping his hand, unable to hold it up a second longer.

"Please…don't die," she said softly.

She had never felt more useless than she did in that moment. She sat beside him, her arms tucked close to herself, as he drifted away. She couldn't even make him more comfortable or keep him warm or take away his pain.

He gave one last trill, as if to say something to her, but the action caused a mass of blood to erupt from his mouth before he suddenly went still.

Lex felt as if something inside her chest had just been torn apart and ripped away.

Her body trembled, feeling utterly numb as she leaned forward. With her cold hands still tucked between her thighs for warmth, she rested her cheek atop his chest. His warm blood mixed with a single tear that had finally escaped her control. She stared up at his face emptily as snow continued to fall around them, baring silent witness to his last moments.

"I told you I wouldn't leave you behind," she whispered under her breath and closed her eyes, realizing that she had failed him.

Tired and broken as she was, she didn't notice the gentle glow of light that started to illuminate the area. When the space before her distorted unnaturally, it finally caught her attention and prompted her to lift her head. A hum of electricity seemed to come from nowhere as the air in front of her began to give off little sparks of blue and white.

Then, as if appearing from nothing, another creature unveiled itself. Standing on the other side of Scar's body, it loomed over them, tall and imposing. With the bright light behind it washing out its features, all Lex could see was a massive silhouette.

Like a switch being flicked on, adrenaline began pumping through her veins, forcing her into overdrive once more. After everything she'd been through, her defenses were running far too high for her not to act aggressively. Dismally, she thought she was facing another threat, the nightmare never seeming to end.

Lightening quick, Lex reached down to where she knew Scar kept an extra dagger hidden in his boot. She pulled the blade free of its confines and straddled his lifeless body with her feet, standing over him protectively.

Holding the weapon defensively, she bared her teeth at the creature before her, too weary and tired and haggard to even bother trying to stay calm. Her hair, once smooth and relaxed to perfection, was now wild and untamed, falling about her shoulders in an ironic emulation of the predator's own dread-like mane. Now, she was exhausted, in pain, hungry, cold, weak, heartbroken, _alone_.

She was utterly pushed to her limits.

Alexa Woods, always so composed and levelheaded, was at her breaking point. She wasn't sure if she was strong enough to face yet another enemy.

Still, even if she failed...she was going to at least _try_ to survive.

However, Lex quickly stopped short when she saw it was not one of the serpentine-like monsters that had caused her so much grief, but another of Scar's kind.

The humanoid was staggeringly huge, with long greying locks and intimidating quills protruding from its brow and cheekbones. Layers of magnificent armor covered its body and a crimson cloak, long and billowing, hung from its shoulder, swaying delicately in the breeze.

He trilled at her curiously, not the least bit intimidated by her. He appeared more interested in studying her small form and her fierce protectiveness of the yautja she seemed willing to shield with her very life.

Suspicion rippled through Lex. The alien standing before her was the same as Scar, perhaps older, but the same. Did he mean either of them harm? Was he here to help? If so, why hadn't he helped them earlier when the Queen had attacked them?

Lex could hardly keep her balance to stay standing upright, let alone think clearly. She was clutching her side in pain and growing dizzier by the second. She didn't even realize how badly she was bleeding.

With her mind in a jumbled mess of pain and fatigue, Lex couldn't bring herself to trust the creature standing before her so easily.

Even if he was like Scar, there was too much distrust in her to simply stand down. If he ever cared to help, he should have done it when they were fighting the Queen, maybe then Scar wouldn't have...

Lex shook her head, not liking the way it hurt when she thought about him.

Before she could contemplate it a second longer, the static buzz of more cloaking devices signaled the reveal of numerous other predators surrounding her. The crackle of the electric blue light caused her to tense and hold her dagger tighter. She raised it higher, keeping the blade flat to her forearm for better leverage should she be forced to defend herself. As they began to close in on her, she began to feel more and more uncomfortable with the situation. Her eyes darted between each party, knowing that she didn't stand a chance.

Fear began to build inside her and her heart raced. At her side, she felt a sudden outpouring of warmth as she continued to bleed out all over herself. Her knees wobbled and she nearly collapsed atop her hulking alien comrade, but she powered through it, determined to protect him with her life...determined to protect her _own_ life.

When she noticed how close they'd gotten, studying her with prying inquisitiveness, Lex shouted out a warning, trying to keep them away.

"Stay back!" she demanded harshly, baring her teeth for emphasis. She was beginning to feel more and more like a caged animal with every step they took.

Then logic started trying to break through her clouded mind, warring with her fear.

Perhaps she wasn't thinking straight…

These were his people. What was she doing? He was already dead. Her instincts had been piloting her actions for far too long now, blocking out any rational decisions her normally practical mind would make.

Off to her right, the sound of another curious trill had her head jerking in that direction. When she saw one of the predators leaning in to investigate her, she immediately mistook his actions and reverted back to protective mode, logical reasoning gone.

"Don't touch him!" she snapped.

The old, caped predator noticed how their presence had agitated her. Turning to the others, he sent out a loud, commanding bark. Instantly, they halted their advance.

Lex relaxed slightly and he trilled in response, coaxing her further.

Her arm slowly began to lower at the sound, alleviating some of her concerns.

Suddenly, she felt the grip of a large, warm hand latch onto her wrist. Lex turned to find one of the tall aliens decloaking behind her, so stealthy his boots hadn't even made a noise in the snow. Cursing herself for trusting him, she immediately retaliated.

She struggled and kicked weakly, her strength nearly gone.

"No!" she protested futilely. "Let met go!"

Lex let out a growl of irritation when he easily pulled the dagger from her grasp. It had been her last weapon of defense and a cold comfort in light of her current circumstances.

At the sight of the others moving in to take Scar away, Lex suddenly felt very alone at the realization that they were taking the only friend she had left in this desolate situation, even if he was dead. Her instincts were running on high and she had already faced worse. She'd faced the Queen. She wasn't going to let them intimidate her.

"No!" she cried out as they rolled him none too gently onto a stretcher. "I'll kill you if you hurt him!" She tried to sound convincing, but she knew you couldn't hurt someone who was already gone.

The oldest of their group moved forward again to examine her. It was quite pointless for such a weak creature to put up this much of a fight, yet she stubbornly remained defiant.

With her continued resistance, the predator holding her captive only tightened his hold on her arm and pulled her back to his chest to maintain better control of her much smaller body. Taller and fairly thinner than Scar had been, but still muscular, Lex didn't let his size stop her as she attempted to twist out of his hold.

Excruciating pain shot up the nerves of her spine as she felt the wound in her side rip open even further due to her flailing. It was only by sheer force of will that she was able to bite back a scream. Suddenly feeling very, very weak, she fought the tunneling of her vision with the last ounce of her strength, but then everything became unbearably dark.

Looking up, the old predator's aged face was the last thing she saw before her head dropped back limply with unconsciousness.

.

o0o

.

Translations:

_z'skvy-de_ \- xenomorph chestbuster

_ooman_ \- human

**So, even though I loved AVP, I do not believe a predator would hunt alongside/mark a human simply for 'accidentally' killing a xenomorph. I mean really, all Lex did was lift a spear while she sniveled on the floor in fear, and of course, she tied a chain to a water tower(woohoo). The latter only occurring **_**after**_** he marked her. Scar did all the work! Seriously, a human would have to be a lot more fierce than that to earn a pred's respect. With that in mind, I extended their time in the pyramid and had them fight a lot more aliens. That way, Lex actually did something to earn her mark of honor. **

**Anyways, I had a difficult time deciding whether or not to write from the perspective of the predator. I felt that offering too much insight into the mind of the predator would ruin it, as the predator's voice (imo) is shown through actions that are always implied but never directly spoken. Choosing whether or not to give a voice to Scar was hard and I hope it was cohesive and enjoyable for the reader regardless of my pitfalls.**

**To those who reviewed and such, thank you so much for the support! If you would like more, please let me know!**

**Side note: omg, I feel so bad for the xeno Queen!**


	3. Chapter 3

.

**.: CHAPTER 3 :.**

o0o

.

When Lex's eyes began to flutter open, there was a strange hope inside her; hope that everything that had just happened was nothing more than another bad dream. She'd just drifted off inside the pyramid and Scar's soothing purr would be there to console her upon waking. Or maybe she'd really luck out and discover the pyramid had never even happened at all.

Unfortunately, the blinding white light floating overhead spoke to the reality of her situation. She wasn't in the pyramid, she hadn't nodded off under Scar's watchful eye and neither had she fallen asleep on the front porch of her home, tucked deep in the countryside of the mountains.

She was lying on something cool and hard and above her was a very bright examination light, seemingly the only source of illumination in the room.

Lex pressed her hands against the cold metal beneath her and pushed herself upright. Immediately she became alert.

This definitely wasn't the pyramid…

The smooth, metallic walls surrounding her were ultramodern with straight, clean lines – nothing like the archaic hieroglyphics carved into the corridors of the monolith she'd previously been trapped in. A couple of wires had been attached to her, hooking her up to a monitor that sat next to a table of varying medical tools that were far too alien in nature for her to identify. Her clothes were gone and she'd been stripped down to nothing but her white undergarments.

_The predators…shit. _

Good god, she'd been abducted by aliens. Were they going to cut her up and dissect her? Experiment on her? Maybe kill her now that she'd seen too much?

Lex shuddered.

For all she knew, they could take her back to their planet and worship her like a goddess.

She really had no clue what they intended, but she didn't feel like sticking around to find out.

There was a sliding door situated off to her right and she literally stopped breathing when she heard something on the other side. She strained to listen and quickly stiffened at the sound of familiar clicks. There were footsteps accompanying the noises and they seemed to be growing louder, edging closer to her room.

Scar's face instantly came to mind, causing everything else to melt into the background.

She wanted to find him, but if he was with his kind there was nothing more she could do. He was dead and she wanted to leave, but something inside was stopping her. It wouldn't let her go without seeing him again.

Ignoring the protests of her aching body, Lex's hand shot out and grabbed two of the sharpest tools lying on the table. Long and imposing, the scalpel-like blades would present a suitable enough improvised weapon. They would simply have to do.

Without waiting another second, she jumped from the table and discreetly crept into the shadows beside the door. Her timing seemed to be perfect, for not a moment later it slid open with a quiet _swoosh_. When two gigantic humanoids stepped inside, she had to stomp down the near crippling fear that threatened to engulf her.

Shrinking further back against the wall, she waited until they had taken another few strides into the room before she silently slipped out. The sweltering heat in the air slapped her like a brick to the face, making her body immediately bead with sweat. Going from being locked in the depths of a freezing wasteland to such an unbelievably hot and humid environment, it was nearly unbearable.

Lex merely pushed the discomfort aside. Keeping on high alert, her head moved as if it were on a swivel, diligently scanning the hall she'd just walked into. She could've just potentially exposed herself by jumping into such an area without even thinking first. Fortunately for her, she saw nothing but emptiness in the halls and she breathed a sigh of relief.

She'd lucked out this time, but there was still a problem. There was no chance in hell she would be able to move about this place without getting caught. There was absolutely no place to hide. The corridors were nothing but clear, open spaces.

The two predators that had stepped into the room she'd just exited would be emerging any second now. Once they noticed she was gone, she'd really be in trouble. She had to get moving if she wanted to avoid them.

She'd just have to settle for a 'think as you go' type of plan. She really had no choice. She couldn't stay stationary for long.

Hurrying to the end of the hall, Lex peaked around the corner to make sure it was empty and slinked forward. Her eyes scoured the corridor, searching for doors, rooms, outlets…anything that could get her out of the open and maybe tell her where the hell she was. Though, she was fairly certain she already knew the answer to that question.

She was on their ship.

Looking up, she caught sight of a vent perched close to the ceiling.

It would have to do.

Lex shoved the two scalpels into her mouth, biting down on their handles as she began to scale the wall. With its futuristic design, it offered very little in the way of grip. The slick, glassy curves were difficult to keep a hold of and with her palms being so sweaty from the heat, it only made it harder. Parts of it were smooth and rounded, particularly where the red and white lights ran just under its surface, but it was better than nothing at all. She wasn't going to complain. She'd scaled cliffs with fewer footholds than this. Compared to that, this was a piece of cake.

Finally reaching her destination, Lex used the one of the scalpels to pry the corner of the vent off its hinges. As it popped out of place, she reached out, just barely catching it before it could fall. Slinking into the small cubby, she pulled the heavy metal covering back into place in the hopes that it would cover her tracks.

Just as she tugged it closed, the same pair of predators that been in her room came into view.

Lex hunkered back as they walked down the hall, their pace brisk and agitated. Unsurprisingly, they didn't seem too pleased. But, when a third predator came into view and met them halfway down the corridor, Lex could practically feel her troubles mounting. The small group came to a stop directly before the vent and she nervously held her breath as she listened to them communicate amongst themselves, clicking and growling their frustrations. She recognized the third one almost immediately. He was the one who'd snuck up behind her and caught her off guard at the whaling station.

He didn't seem happy in the least. With a loud snarl, he shoved one of them against the wall directly below her hideout and pulled his fist back in a very threatening manner, as if he were about to pummel him in the face.

Lex, starting to panic, hastily began backpedaling as quickly and quietly as she possibly could.

Just as he drove his fist forward, the tall predator suddenly paused, his knuckles only inches from connecting with the smaller one's face. He sniffed the air once, twice, and then slowly looked upwards to the vent above his head.

A long, low and predatory purr reached Lex's ears.

Lex squeaked in shock when her surroundings suddenly shook as he jumped forward. With his feet bracing the wall and his hand gripping a pipe along the ceiling, he reached out and tore the vent clear off its hinges.

Already halfway to the other end of the tunnel, Lex was on her belly and scurrying backwards when his eyes froze her in place. Glowing with a deep, predatory glare, they fixed solely upon her.

In that moment, her heart felt as if it dropped straight to the pit of her stomach.

Unexpectedly, his fist slammed into the wall, shaking her world as he released a terrifying roar.

Lex cried out and dropped the scalpels, covering her ears as the loud sound echoed through the ductwork. She curled in on herself and clenched her eyes shut at the sheer immensity of it. It rattled the claustrophobic passageway like an earthquake, causing the metal underneath her to tremble.

Thoroughly shaken and scared out of her wits, Lex slowly lowered her trembling hands as it finally died out. With her ears ringing and her body quivering, she dared to look up to the opening of the vent.

His alien face stared back, his mandibles clicking as he let out another smooth, feral purr.

"Oh…_shit_…" she breathed out shakily.

As fast as she could manage, she snatched up the two scalpels and began shoving herself backwards towards the opposite end of the shaft. A bit erratic in her movements, she tried to calm her nerves as much as possible to keep her mind on track.

Seeing his face disappear from the other side of the tunnel offered no relief. She knew he'd be on her ass as soon as she was out of the ventilation system.

She tried to come up with some type of plan, but just as she gave another push to move herself along, she realized there was no more ground behind her. The lower half of her body suddenly lurched downwards, the force of the drop pulling the rest of her down with it. Her fingers desperately tried to catch the edge of duct, but with the surface of the vent nothing but smooth, slick metal, there was nothing for her to find purchase on.

Lex mentally cursed her stupidity for thinking that crawling backwards in a ventilation system in a blind panic had been anywhere near a good idea.

As her upper body slipped over the edge, she was sent plummeting downwards with a cry. Her bottom crashed through another vent, subsequently bending the thin metal. It immediately gave out under her weight. With a loud clatter, she plunged straight down to the hard ground beneath…directly into the center of a massive group of predators.

Shock stunned all the parties present, sending them into a moment of astonished immobility, including herself. Frozen stiff, all heads turned to her, their tresses swinging and their mandibles slowly clicking in what she could only presume was disbelief.

Pain had shot up her back and side from the impact and she'd stifled her scream of agony well enough. However, it was all she could do not to whimper in fear at the sight of such large, muscular creatures surrounding her. They were closing in, looking very displeased to have been disturbed. As she pushed herself up on trembling arms, one of them stepped forward and growled down at her menacingly. Apparently, all of their shock had quickly worn off and turned into anger.

Lex's eyes sought out her makeshift weapons.

Seeing them next to her feet, she instantly scooped them up. With a vicious sneer, she slashed at the predator's arm when he bent down to grab her. He jerked back with a hiss and Lex wasn't about to stick around to bear witness to his enraged reaction.

Scrambling to her feet, she bolted for a door at the other end of the massive room.

There was a furious roar behind her as they gave chase, sending a frightening chill up her spine. She dared not look back as she pushed her legs harder.

When the doors suddenly opened to reveal the same predator from before, her eyes widened in horror. He didn't seem nearly as surprised to see her as she was to see him.

Spreading his arms and feet, he took up a stance that was clearly meant to intimidate her. His hulking form very nearly filled up the entire space of the doorway, blocking her path.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lex steeled her nerves and narrowed her eyes at him challengingly, picking up speed as she ran. His head tilted, wondering if she would actually dare to challenge him. As she grew closer and closer and it became clearer and clearer that she wasn't going to slow down, he realized she fully intended to follow through with her charge. He reached down and pulled out a mean looking dagger from his back, spinning it in his hand expertly. Only feet away, he let out a loud roar when she unexpectedly jumped forward. His arms swung out to grab her and she slipped right through his fingertips. She landed below him, bent her knees and darted directly between his legs – straight out the door.

She made it down several halls and out of his sight before she was forced to stop and rest. Leaning back against a wall and panting heavily, she tried to catch her breath. The air was hot and humid and her breathing was ragged and fast. She pressed her hand to the ache in her side and gasped in pain.

That fall had opened her wound up, leaving a thick trail of blood in her wake – which would only make it easier for them to track her. Her head fell back against the wall as she clenched her eyes shut. She was tired and scared and had no fucking clue where she was. Her body hurt and her mind was reeling and it was so damned hot in here! Even in nothing but her bra and underwear the sweat was covering her ebony skin in a heavy sheen.

With the heat beginning to get to her head, Lex slowly sank to the floor. It seemed her eyes were only shut for just a split second when a soft trill snapped them back open.

Before her, there stood a group of her pursuers. Their bodies were ripped with solid muscle, every inch of them built with nothing but killing in mind. Even though they varied in size, none of them seemed to stand below seven foot tall. With their mottled, scaly skin and fierce, protruding mandibles, they were an intimidating sight.

And at the head of their group, directly in front of her, was her nemesis.

He had a face that was much rougher than Scar's and ridges along his crown that were a bit more pronounced. His skin was soft olive in tone and his speckled accents were not nearly as dark as the others. His build was trimmer, a slimmer version of his hulking comrades, but by no means thin. Considering his upper left mandible looked as if it had been torn off in combat long ago, along with his mismatched eyes and acid scarred face, she could venture a guess that he'd seen some pretty brutal battles in his day. Bearing in mind that he'd clearly survived them, he must've been an incredibly strong fighter.

Lex pressed her back further against the wall. Holding up the scalpel before her, she leveled him with a sturdy glare just to let him know she wouldn't go down without a good fight. She was going to make sure he walked away from this with at least a cut or two.

He stepped forward and she jutted her scalpel out further. "Don't come any closer!" she hissed and he paused with an annoyed growl. Still crouched on the floor, she maneuvered her feet beneath her just enough to pounce should the occasion to call for it.

"Where's Scar?" she demanded harshly. "Tell me where he is!"

The predator cocked his head at her and looked to his companions in question. They clicked and trilled to each other, casting curious glances her way.

"Scar!" she suddenly shouted at them testily, as if they were incompetent. "His name is _Scar_! He's big and scaly and has freaky looking mandibles on his face! Where is he?!" she yelled out, growing more desperate by the second. Thoughts of kneeling beside him in the snow, forcing back tears as he slowly faded away, surfaced in her mind. Memories of him next to her in the pyramid, protecting each other, teasing him when she realized how frustrated he'd become when his kill happened to be smaller than hers, even that way he walked with a certain swagger that hinted at an edge of cockiness…

_He'd been the only comfortable thing she had left in that place…_

All at once, her thoughts were cut short when the predator stepped closer and growled in her face. Lex gasped and tried to move away, but his tolerance had apparently run out. Reaching down, he suddenly grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her off the floor.

Lex clenched her teeth from the pain burning her scalp, barely able to keep her feet under her as he hauled her closer.

Anger suddenly rushed through her, rolling over her in waves.

Shoving the handle of one of her scalpels between her teeth, she gripped the other hard in her right hand and thrust it up into his arm. Judging by the sound of his shocked snarl, he hadn't been expecting it. He instantly let go and Lex crashed to the ground. She seized the moment and charged forward, but his hand shot out to grab her throat. Anticipating this, Lex dropped to into a crouch and darted around his legs. Pulse pounding in her ears, she slashed deep into the flesh of his thigh, his body unprotected by any armor.

With a bark of irritation, he turned and backhanded her right across the side of her face. Lex dropped like a sack of potatoes, her vision fading for a moment. The next thing she knew, she was face down on the floor with his large hand pressed into her back, holding her in place. Lex grunted at the sheer immensity of his strength when she tried to move, but he merely pushed her back down, keeping her locked on the ground and nearly suffocating her in the process.

Before she could even retaliate, he straddled her, pinning her arms with his feet. Standing over her, his weight alone was unbearable on her smaller, frailer arms. They felt as if they were going to snap.

Lex thrashed under him wildly, desperate to get out from under his control. She could feel his mismatched gaze on the back of her head as he crouched down and trilled tauntingly in her ear, plucking the scalpel out of her hand.

When she suddenly felt the light touch of his claw on the back of her neck, slowly traveling down the ridges of her spine with a dark purr, Lex froze.

Was he planning to rip her spine out? Mount her on his wall?

Her hands clenched in fury.

She downright refused to yield.

With an unnatural contortion of her body, she lifted her hips from the floor and swung her legs around to the right. Wrapping her calves around his elbow, the weakest point in the arm, she flexed every muscle in her body to their fullest potential and _twisted_.

Clearly, he didn't foresee such retaliation. His arm was pulled under her as he was pitched to the side. Lex bit down harder on the handle of her remaining scalpel and thrust her head to the left. It slashed into the underside of his forearm, clear from his wrist all the way to his elbow.

Florescent green blood splattered onto her cheek as his satisfying roar of pain filled her ears.

He'd been thrown onto his back from the momentum of her body and Lex made sure not to waste this very small window of opportunity. She snatched her small weapon from her mouth and quickly straddled his chest. Sitting atop him, she lifted the scalpel high above her head, locked her eyes with his and shrieked as her hand descended towards his chest, fully intending to stab him.

All the patience seemed to dissipate from his eyes in that moment. Just as her arm plunged down, he grabbed her wrist and flung her body across the hall with horrifying ease. She had only just slammed into the wall when he was upon her again with a terrifying roar.

Lex didn't even flinch as she lifted her arm and tried to slap him across the face. He was far too fast for her, though, and he gripped her forearm and lifted her clear off the floor.

She cried out loudly, struggling wildly in his hold. Her voice broke as the helplessness of her situation began to sink in. His power over her was utterly and frustratingly effortless as she continued to thrash about, her feet dangling a good foot and a half off the ground.

He pulled her closer, lifting her until she was eye level. He studied her intently, as if he'd never seen anything quite like her. There was anger there, deep in his gaze, from how obstinate she was being. But there was also a faint glimmer of interest and curiosity and something else. Raising her free arm, Lex's palm flattened out with the full intent to try and slap him again, until he shocked her into silence.

"**Lehhcks**." Her name rumbled out from his lipless mouth with the same poor pronunciation that Scar had displayed when he first attempted to say it.

Her eyes widened and her arm abruptly stilled.

How did he know her name?

Seeing her calm somewhat, he let out a low purr, different from the predatory tones he'd used before.

Lex's body instantly went to goo, dangling from his hand like a rag doll. Her head fell back and her eyes nearly rolled back into her head. Her anger was immediately placated and her nerves put to rest in much the same way it had been when she'd felt Scar's soothing purr against her back. Whatever it was about these creatures and their purring, it was as annoyingly dangerous as it was reassuring and pleasing.

It was then that a loud, earsplitting roar broke through the crowd, silencing the chaos in an instant.

Lex was jolted back to reality by the chilling sound.

Peering behind her as much as her precarious position allowed, she turned to see the old predator standing at the other end of the hall. He looked none too pleased about the commotion…but when her gaze shifted to see who was standing beside him…

Lex let out a pitiful whimper, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

With his entire torso and shoulder heavily bandaged, Scar stepped forward from the Elder's side.

He approached the pair, clicking and growling at her capturer as he motioned towards her still dangling body in displeasure. Lex could hardly take her eyes off him and, with some amount of reluctance, she began to feel them tear up and her lips begin to tremble.

The predator holding her snorted and huffed, rebutting whatever protest Scar had made.

Scar leaned to the side a bit and took in the nasty slashes along the taller predator's thigh and forearm. Quirking one side of his mandibles, he lifted his gaze back to the hunter and let out a rolling rumble that sounded quite similar to mocking laughter.

Suddenly defensive, the predator jerked her back, moving her closer to him and away from Scar.

Almost instantly, Scar's eyes darkened.

A long, low growl worked up from both their chests, causing the atmosphere to quickly turn tense and strained. The younger hunter stepped forward menacingly, only to get a harsh shove on the shoulder. He stopped, looked down to his shoulder for a moment and then looked back up, as if he couldn't believe he'd just done that. Without delay, he promptly shoved him back.

Quickly retaliating, her captor shoved him again, twice as hard, each hit escalating in aggression and strength.

Just as Scar grabbed the utility belt strapped across the predator's chest and yanked him forward with his fist cocked back, the Elder stepped in with a callous bark. It instantly put a stop to their dispute and they reluctantly shoved away from each other, each still brimming with hostility. With another commanding vocalization, Lex was gently placed back on her own two feet.

The predator leaned down slightly and, making a point of glancing askance to ensure Scar was watching, he pounded his chest once as his eyes locked with hers. "**Wolf**," he said curtly. His gravelly voice was just as deep as Scar's had been, and with a pronunciation that was equally terrible.

However, just as he finished his attempt at what she could only assume was an introduction, Scar seemed to take objection to this and moved in with another violent shove to Wolf's chest, placing himself directly between Lex and the predator. Their growls were deep and feral and crackling with belligerence as they resumed their spat.

Lex was hardly able to push her shock aside from seeing Scar alive, but she when glanced down to where her hand rested on her right side, a new kind of shock arose within her. There, running down her hips and thighs, was more blood than she could ever recall seeing in her life. It stained her white underwear and pooled around her feet, disgustingly warm and sticky between her bare toes.

How had she not noticed how bad this was before?

She suddenly felt very dizzy, all of her adrenaline used up and run dry. For a very real moment, she wondered if it was possible to die from such blood loss.

Slowly lifting her head from the ugly sight of her gnarled and ghastly wound, her eyes found Scar's figure once more. Relief flooded through her when she realized she had actually fulfilled her promise to get him out alive.

A soft sound left her lips as she closed her eyes and dropped to her knees.

She slumped forward, unable to see the alarm that surfaced in Scar's eyes as he turned away from Wolf and noticed her distress. He was by her side in an instant, grabbing her arm and pulling her back up before her face could even hit the floor. Her head rolled back limply as she began to lose consciousness again.

Perhaps they hadn't expected her survive when they brought her onto their ship. Perhaps they were waiting for her to die, perhaps they simply didn't know how to properly treat a human…or maybe she'd actually just been stupid enough to try something like escaping before they had the chance to help her…

Either way, she was really regretting all that vigorous running around the ship and falling from the vents.

It hurt so bad.

Still, despite her silly mistakes, she couldn't help but smile a bit as she looked up into Scar's worried eyes.

"You're alive," she whispered exhaustedly. Reaching up, her bloody fingertips lightly brushed his lower mandible before he suddenly lifted her from the floor. She was vaguely aware of lights moving by overhead, but with her body so weakened and her eyes rolling back into her head, she couldn't focus on any single thing even if she wanted to. Even cradled securely against him, she could feel her arm slowly slipping from where it had been curled atop her chest before it completely fell over her side, hanging flaccid and useless. What a pitiful sight she must have been.

She never had liked feeling so dependent, so frail.

It wasn't long before she gave in and lost consciousness again.

Perhaps it wasn't such a smart idea to trust this alien so much. But, feeling his large arms around her, along with his warmth reaching into her…she'd make an exception.

Just this once.

.

o0o

.

_All of this darkness was bleeding her dry. She was tired of it and even more tired of the things that crept behind it, just out of her sight. It's all she could see, this darkness. Hisses and growls called out to her from the shadows, sending fear straight to her gut. It made her knees weak and her hands shake. _

_Their claws were slashing out at her, pinning her down to the cold, hard ground. Sleek bodies and elongated skulls was all she could discern from the blackness. They pressed her down and she could feel the cold, slimy fingers of their hatchlings crawling over her face and body. _

_She coughed and gagged and thrashed as something long and thick was shoved down her throat, forcing something inside of her, violating her. _

_Unusually fast, the disgusting creatures detached from her face. Their bodies fell to the floor, their purpose in life fulfilled. It was only seconds later that she felt unbelievable pain in her chest, erupting with a hurt she'd never felt before in her life. She screamed and tore at her shirt, ripping it away just as the first sounds of her cracking sternum could be heard. The crunch of bone was horribly loud in her ears and she arched her back clear off the stone floor from the agony. _

_Daring to glance down, she watched helplessly as a blood drenched alien exploded from her body. Just as it lifted its pale head to scream out, the cold shock of death surged through her vision. _

Lex lurched awake, panting heavily. Her heart hadn't even had a chance to calm itself before her hands shot up to her chest. Her fingers searched and pressed around her breasts shakily, finding nothing.

Taking a long, ragged breath, Lex's face fell into her hands, her shoulders slumping forward with the action.

_It was just a dream._

Still tired, she went to roll onto her stomach, not wanting to get up and face reality at the moment.

Lex frowned, instantly berating herself for such a pathetic thought.

Alexa Woods _never_ ran from anything. No matter how tough things got. Besides the utter cowardice of the thought, the ache in her side was making itself more and more evident. She didn't think she'd be getting back to sleep anytime soon, not with her injuries and especially not after that dream.

She briefly wondered if she'd end up with nightmares every time she closed her eyes now.

Her fingers clenched in the velvety fur underneath her at the possibility, desperately hoping that wouldn't be the case.

Then she froze.

_Fur?_

She looked down and slowly lifted her hand from the large pelt she sat upon, studying the heavy fur bunched around her waist. Looking down at her body, she found she was completely naked save for the bandages wrapped tightly around her waist, leg and hand. Although her injuries weren't as painful as they had initially been, they still throbbed in discomfort.

She started to wonder what the date was.

Judging by how her smaller cuts and scrapes were looking, she must have been out for quite some time.

Lex raised her head, her eyes scanning the large room she was in. It was dark around her, with only a few lights illuminating her section of the room. She sat on the floor on a wide pallet, draped in layers and layers of luxurious furs, surrounded by alien bones and skulls – all of which she was completely unable to recognize. With a high ceiling and stairs leading to an actual loft, she could already spy several more skulls mounted on the upper level.

A door sat to her right while rows of wicked weapons of all types and classes, from big to small, spanned the length of the wall directly across from it. Some of the weapons she recognized as the ones that Scar had used. Some of them lay beside her on the floor, spread out around oils and wet stones as if someone had been sitting there and cleaning them recently.

Had it not been for the distinctly industrial, futuristic-style design of the walls and the sparse cabinets, she would have thought she was in a cave.

It was ungodly hot, but it seemed the time she spent unconscious had allowed her body to acclimate enough to tolerate the heat.

Lex took a deep, relaxing breath to collect herself. She needed to take stock of all that had occurred thus far. She had to make sure that she would not do anything rash again – like grabbing as many weapons from the wall that she could carry and breaking out of here. Clearly, no harm was going to come to her here. She was safe and bandaged up and on her way to recovery with what was obviously help from Scar and the rest of his kind. Pragmatic and practical minded, Lex was always one to take the no-nonsense route. She refused to cause any more trouble than she probably already had.

Though, she was still tempted to borrow a couple of those weapons from the wall…just to be safe, of course. If there was one thing the pyramid had taught her, it was to stay on guard.

As her nerves slowly settled, the first thing that entered her mind was just how much she wanted a bath…and something to eat. Her fingers grazed over her stomach. She'd spent at least two full days in the pyramid, plus all the time she'd been unconscious – she was guessing three days, max. That was a grand total of five days. Thus, she was unsurprised to see her abdomen was sunken in quite a bit more than usual and her hipbones were protruding out far more than they should. Her luscious curves had dwindled slightly.

Lifting her head once more, she took note of the tall, wide archway on the other side of the room. It opened up to an area that looked similar to the one she rested in. Hoping it was a bathroom, Lex pushed up from the floor and staggered to her feet. She wobbled in place, gripping one of the massive white bones that hung down from the ceiling for balance. They framed the head of the pallet and, with one on each side, resembled the whale ribs she'd seen back at the abandoned whaling station. Though, she knew they most certainly were not from a whale, at least not one from Earth.

Feeling a bit more steady on her feet, Lex moved into the spacious room to find the necessary amenities – including a very large bath and shower, each utility on opposite ends of the room.

Had she been a person prone to fits of emotion she would have cried out in happiness at the sight.

With the ceiling a bit lower than the room outside, as the loft was directly above the bathroom, it was all still very open and cavernous. There was no décor, only empty walls. Although it was clear the workings of the amenities were set up a bit differently, a shower was a shower, regardless. It should be easy enough to figure out. As long as the water was warm, that's all she cared about.

Taking a moment to find the end of the bandage tucked around her waist, she tugged it free and carefully began unwinding the gauzy fabric before moving on to do the same to her hand and thigh.

Lex hissed as the material was peeled from the acid burns on her leg. She examined the wounds and was shocked at how fast they seemed to have healed. There was still a slight sting that resided, and it still had a little ways to go until it was completely healed, but for the most part the worst of it was over. Her brows furrowed as she thought about it. She couldn't possibly have been out that long. Perhaps these aliens had much more advanced medical expertise that could heal much quicker than normal.

_Fascinating… _

Pushing her curiosity aside, she approached the shower, intent to figure out how the strange nozzles and buttons worked. It was certainly roomy. The shower head was mounted high on the wall, completely out of her reach, and with no door or curtain to speak of, only two glass parapets served to enclose the space. Lex pressed her finger to a smooth touch screen on the wall. Though she was unable to understand the writing that flickered to life, she tinkered around with it and, before long, she had the water running in no time.

She stuck her hand under the stream, making sure that not only was the temperature right, but that it wasn't some kind of alien poison substance that would melt her alive. Perhaps she was being too cautious. But, considering the run-ins she'd had with alien acid substances in the past…she figured it would be more imprudent _not_ to check.

The water felt a little bit thicker than usual, and smoother, but otherwise it seemed safe. Satisfied that it wouldn't dissolver her into a puddle of goo, Lex eagerly stepped forward and closed her eyes at the blissful sensation of water pouring down on her.

It felt amazing. There was nothing that could revitalize her like a shower, washing away all the filth and weariness that clung to her body. It was refreshing and invigorating and she knew she'd feel a lot better afterwards.

As Lex started scrubbing her body, she found herself wishing for all the luxuries of home; a toothbrush, a sponge, her shampoo and conditioners and body wash. She'd never take them for granted again. They were such small things that, after everything she'd been through, seemed to have absolutely no meaning anymore. But, they reminded her of normalcy, and she just wanted to feel a little more 'normal' again.

Though, one thing she was glad she didn't need was a razor. About a year ago she'd decided to give laser hair removal a try. It was the, 'in thing'. She'd initially resolved to have the procedure because of the vast amounts of time she spent outdoors, leading expeditions in environments that didn't exactly allow her the chance to bath and shave frequently. She'd gotten pretty tired of hairy legs and pits and, though expensive, the treatments had taken care of that surprisingly well. They'd been worth it. Now, she had never been more thankful that she'd suffered through all those painful sessions, the sharp, stinging bolts that felt like hot rubber bands snapping across her skin had been worth it. Even though she was an avid outdoorswoman at heart, she was still a woman and she wanted to feel like one, as well. Not some gruff, mustachioed, flannel wearing butch that most of the women in her field of work had mutated into.

Now…she just had to figure out a way to scrub her teeth clean…

.

o0o

.

When Scar stepped into the room, his eyes habitually went the pallet on the floor, expecting to find the human female in the same place that she'd been in for the past three days.

She'd been unconscious for so long. Although her wounds were not terribly serious, she had lost far too much blood for her small body to handle. It had been a surprisingly tough recovery, as they were unable to use the usual drugs and serums on her human body. The pastes and gels had been developed for the bigger, more durable yautja anatomy. To have used it on her would have possibly sent her entire system into shock.

He'd watched over her during her slow recovery, rarely getting any sleep as he sat by her prone form, leaning against the wall and sharpening his knives to pass the time. She'd toss and turn as some unseen force tortured her during her sleeping hours. Only the steady rhythm of his purr calmed her restlessness and chased the nightmares away.

It wasn't hard to figure out the face of the beasts haunting her in the darkness of her dreams.

Night after night, he would stare down at the shallow rise and fall of her chest, half expecting her light breaths to die out and that frail ooman heart of hers to stop beating.

He held back an irritated growl at the thought. How many times had he been forced to push back that niggling anxiety pricking in his gut, wondering if she would wake up at all? Oomans were so fragile, their bodies as weak as they were resilient.

But Lex was not just any other ooman.

Lex was strong. She'd proven that already and such notions of her death had not been worth pondering over at any rate. He had no reason to watch over her, especially now that they were out of the pyramid. He had no reason to care. He liked to think owed her nothing now, but he knew that was a lie.

If it wasn't for her, he'd be dead right now. Dishonored, even.

When he allowed her to tag along he never expected to find such strength in her. He'd intended to use her as nothing more than bait. He may be unwilling to hunt a weak female, but he had no qualms about using one as a lure. Better for her to die in the skirmish and prevent the hard meats from getting a hold of her and producing another drone. After the _z'skvy-de_ became too much of a burden, he'd utilized her in a more practical way, thinking that would be the extent of her usefulness. Imagine his surprise when she had not only proven herself capable, but had actually protected him during his weakest moments. She'd reached into his chest and pulled an abomination from his body, even receiving an injury for the trouble, and still she'd stayed by his side.

His med kit had been fully stocked with pain killers that he could have taken to dull the agony of the extraction, but he knew such drugs would've hampered his wits. He needed to remain sharp and alert, and taking said drugs would've clouded his reason and left him vulnerable. Even still, the pain of the operation had proven too much and, with the serum and cauterizing gel injected so deep in his chest, he'd passed out anyways. He'd been left vulnerable, regardless. Yet she had stayed. She hadn't run off to the surface, hadn't escaped. She remained by his side and watched over him relentlessly.

Such behavior, such honor, from a human was indeed rare. These days, it was even uncommon to find such qualities amongst the most decorated yautja warriors. It had his chest swelling with pride that was impossible even for him to deny.

The rest of the yautja, however…

Scar felt a displeased growl building in his throat.

It had been difficult just to keep his clansmen out of her room and away from the unconscious female. Nearly every hunter on the ship had bore witness to her slaughter of the Queen with naught but a single old fishing spear as her weapon. Interest, curiosity, desire, attraction and even a few cases of resentment had flared through them like a virus.

Aside from the xenomorphs and a select few other races, ooman females, rather females of any species, were never hunted by the yautja. They were the givers of life. Their wombs were a temple for the birth of future warriors – a new generation to be hunted – meant to be worshiped and revered, not destroyed. Without them, there would be no life. Although the females of his species were usually larger and much fiercer than the males, they never hunted. More accurately, they were not good at hunting. Their mood swings made them terribly unpredictable in the field and their tempers were equally volatile. Instead, choosing to keep to Yautja Prime to rear sucklings and meddle in the rare instances that politics happened to arise within their race.

For a female to prove herself to be a worthy fighter, to take on the hunt and even slaughter _kiande amedha_, it would make her incredibly desired breeding stock. Many males would fight to mate her. Such a female would indeed produce strong pups…

The sound of running water was a welcome distraction to Scar, cutting his thoughts short. Moving further into her quarters, his eyes drifted over to the empty furs on the floor, void of her person. He glanced to the adjoining room and caught wind of her scent.

So she was finally awake.

Scar found her standing under the steady flow of the shower, her bandages lying discarded on the floor, splotched with her blood.

Watching her curiously, he leaned back against the frame of the archway and studied her figure. Her small form was hidden behind thick layers of steam, floating in the air and fogging up the glass of the shower. The heavy mist curled and hovered around her, making her appear ethereal and mysterious and unattainable. With her back to him, he could see the distinct curves of her soft body. She was slender and smooth everywhere he looked, with just a hint of muscle tone.

The way the water ran down her ebony skin was near entrancing.

It was undeniably intriguing how such fragile creatures had risen up to be the dominant species of their planet. Blunt teeth, blunt claws and no raw power to really speak of, most of the animals on that planet could easily wipe an average human out with a simple swipe of their paw. Though, he supposed it was not the usual facets of strength that made them dangerous. Rather, it was their intellect. They were smart, clever even.

Scar's eyes wandered down her figure. Each and every arch of her spine could be seen under her skin. Each rib and each shoulder blade was pronounced, making her seem frail and breakable. But he knew just how deceptive that façade of frailty really was. He'd seen her hold down a _kiande amedha_ with her bare hands – a being that was over four times her weight.

Even despite those delicate parts of her, she was clearly shaped with breeding in mind. While the males of her species were built for power, the females were practically crafted for sex. Her breasts were large and her waist was small and narrow, flaring out to a set of wide, child birthing hips – hips that were clearly designed to cradle the narrower, trimmer waist of a male between her legs welcomingly. Scar had even heard rumors there was a certain feature on their anatomy whose function was for the sole purpose of sexual pleasure.

A quiet purr stuttered in his chest at the thought of discovering if such rumors were true.

She was, without a doubt, a prime specimen of the human female.

Running his eyes slowly down her legs, however, he was once again reminded of how regrettably small she was.

He forced the thought from his mind, having to remind himself not to judge this female by her size alone. He'd witnessed firsthand what she was capable of.

Scar had watched the ship recording of her kill of the Queen. Seeing the little female charge a full grown _kiande amedha_ Queen, jump straight upon her majestic crown and shove that spear into her skull as she let out a fierce battle cry…he felt a shiver run through him at the memory of it.

The Elder had told him of her efforts to protect his body when she herself had scarcely been able to stay standing upright. He'd been presumed dead, even by his fellow clan mates, but her instincts had driven her to defend him to her last breath. Because of her act of courage, the Elder had ordered his body sent to the infirmary instead of the morgue, just to be sure. There, they found him barely clinging to life. The Queen's tail had missed his spine by mere centimeters.

Had it not been for Lex, he would have died.

Scar rubbed his aching chest, wondering why she had tried so desperately to shield him with her life. Even in the face of insurmountable odds, she hadn't given up.

He remembered waking up in the med bay. He'd just been released from surgery and was barely even alert when the Elder had retrieved him, claiming 'his female' had escaped and was going on a rampage through the ship. The Elder had needed him to calm her down, but he nearly snorted at the humor of it; one tiny human female running amok on a ship full of yautja warriors.

Then he'd found her in Wolf's arms, his mismatched eyes practically devouring her as he purred up a storm.

Wolf _never_ purred.

It pissed him off and he refused to think about it.

Scar, once again, had to thrust all previous thoughts from his mind, berating himself for even letting his brain wander there in the first place. Instead, he distracted himself by watching the way she watered down the cleansing salts before using them on her skin.

Compared to a yautja's hide, no doubt they were too strong for her. His brow drew down curiously as he observed her. She leaned forward, giving him a very open view of her backside. But he was more interested in the languid concentration she put into the act of bathing and how very careful she was at running her hands along her legs and around her wounds. As she straightened, however, she seemed to accidentally scrape her nails over the sensitive area of her burns.

A quiet curse escaped her lips as she jerked her hand away. Thick, red blood immediately began pouring down her leg and mixing with the water, drawing his attention closer.

Lex twisted as she tried to get a better look at the damage she'd done, mentally scolding herself for being so careless. She turned her leg slightly and gently swiped away the blood to see a few small abrasions that she'd opened up.

"Damn it," she sighed, hoping it would clot up before she finished showering.

As Lex lifted her hands to rinse the blood off her fingers, she felt an odd tingling on the back of her neck, as if someone was watching her. She paused and listened, but could hear nothing above the steady drone of water slapping the floor.

Lex shook her head, dismissing it. She'd just dipped her head back under the shower when she heard a slow trill fill the air. Frozen in place, she swallowed nervously and hesitantly glanced over her shoulder.

Her breath caught in her throat when she found Scar standing behind her, just out of the water's reach.

Her heart began a quick staccato inside her chest at the sight of him, particularly at the way his eyes seemed to be distracted by the trail of blood running down the side of her leg. For a moment she wondered if she should be scared, but when he cocked his head in that strangely endearing way, his tresses gently swinging with the motion, she knew she had nothing to worry about.

Reaching out, he drew his knuckle slowly up the length of her thigh, collecting the rivulets of blood that had pooled there. Lex tried not to look away when a hard shudder ran through her at the contact.

Focused on the red, diluted liquid, he lifted his hand as a single droplet lazily dripped from the tip of his claw. Ooman flesh was so very flimsy. Such a light scrape wouldn't have even breeched the hide of a yautja.

Lex stared openly at the fluid coating his talon. Around her, the loud sound of the shower beating down on her seemed to gradually fade out into the background. Her focus shifted, moving from his hand to the chest behind it.

Her heart clenched guiltily at the mangled view it presented. From the dreadful wound of his shoulder, to the small hole that she'd stuck her hand in, to the mess in the center of his chest that the Queen's tail had caused, it was a painful reminder of everything that had happened – that she'd almost lost him. Broad and heavily muscled, the expanse of his chest now resembled something more akin to a map of the Grand Canyon. The scars he'd have would be for life. She wondered how it would have turned out if the Queen's aim had only been a few more centimeters to the left and hit his spine...

Lex shivered at the thought.

Without realizing it, her arm began to lift of its own accord. With her fingers just inches from touching him, she hesitated and drew back uncertainly. But, as she stared at the gnarled flesh, she realized she had no reason to fear him anymore. She carefully settled her hand against it, making sure to be gentle considering it still didn't look completely healed.

Despite the mesh that covered his body, she was a little surprised by how smooth his skin actually felt. She briefly wondered if the rest of him was as soft as his chest. Without his armor she could see the tones and textures of his hide more clearly, varying shades that spanned his entire form. Parts of him were so dark they sometimes appeared black, but if the light happened to hit them just right, they almost had a deep forest green tint. It reminded her very much of crocodile skin, especially the way it faded around the edges into a mottled pattern that outlined the lighter areas of his chest and belly.

She was astounded by how many parallels she shared with him, an alien. They were so remarkably similar in so many ways. There were so little differences, but those differences, in themselves, were so extraordinarily extreme.

Arms, legs, hair, fingers; she had all of these same features that he had. But their discrepancies, on the other hand, were quite tremendous. His raw power was something she'd never seen any human possess. She had witnessed it firsthand. It was as terrifying as it was awe inspiring. He'd pulled the spine out of an alien with his bare hands.

Even the elements they shared were clearly in disparity. He had a certain type of hair that was most unusual and, if she had to venture a guess, she would assume that it wasn't hair at all. The quills that lined his face were similar in manner to his tresses, but much smaller. Now that his armor was off, she could see the bristles also dusted other areas of his body, as well. They lightly covered along his shoulders and just above his obliques, making him look even more intimidating than he already was. Even the top of his chest was covered, tapering out in a thin line just between his pecks. Just like chest hair on a man. They seemed to lay fairly level to his hide, but Lex suspected they would likely rise and stiffen perchance he was angered, much like how an animal's hackles would raise when antagonized.

However, Lex was not given the chance to study these alien aspects of him, for the moment her fingers touched his chest his eyes snapped up to hers, causing her to freeze and hold her breath nervously. Slowly, his gaze dropped to her hand. Time seemed to stop for a full minute, dragging on and making her forget to breathe.

His intense stare prickled her flesh and she began to grow dizzy, though she was unsure as to whether it was from her lungs' demand for air, the foggy heat in the room, or some other unknown variable. Lex nearly pulled away when the deep sound of his purr suddenly kicked in. It vibrated through her hand and pulsed up her arm and into her bones, causing her knees to go weak. It resonated in her chest, traveling through her entire body. In answer, a powerful heat wave arose within her. She felt it throb from the inside out, sending an uncontrollable jolt straight to her loins.

Almost in response, his eyes began to dilate and his purr ebbed into a low, intimidating growl that had her quickly jerking her hand back in alarm. One of his upper mandibles lifted slightly, as if he were drawing in the air. Somewhere inside her brain, Lex knew his senses trumped hers in every way. The mere idea that he could have perceived her momentary lapse in control caused fear and embarrassment to clench her heart.

She must have been ugly to someone like him. So alien, so weak. It was clear his kind favored strength and power above all else…something she could not even hope to compare to. The last thing she wanted was to offend him with some random bodily function she had no control over. It had been a rather automatic response to him. His alien appearance and massive size seemed to have gone completely unrecognized by her instincts, her brain failing to communicate the message that _he was not human_.

It was all so very strange, being around a creature capable of scenting pheromones in the air that humans had long since abandoned caring about. Even if a human's body registered certain scents and acted on them accordingly, it was all subconscious. Their brains had discarded any real interest in utilizing the deeper aspects of the five senses. Now, an alien stood before her, primal and animalistic in every way that humans were not. Instincts ruled over him, despite the astounding intelligence that was reflected in his eyes. With a body that was bulging with muscles larger than her head and senses that outmatched her at every turn, she realized just how very superficial their similarities truly were.

When Lex noticed his gaze slowly raking over her unabashedly, she was suddenly reminded of the fact that she was standing before him completely naked. As his eyes traveled down her neck and over her breasts, she lifted her arm, covering them as much as she could manage. Though, she wasn't sure why she bothered. He was an alien, after all. It's not like it mattered if he saw her...did it?

Lex bit her lip and lowered her eyes, trying to ignore the distinct interest she held for him in her heart.

Openly staring at her, Scar lifted his hand and lightly trailed his claw over his mark on her cheek. She was certainly a pretty thing, with a face that was perfectly symmetrical and lined with a smooth softness that indicated beauty among her species. Sure, she was no yautja female…but she wasn't bad, either.

Slow and torturously, his claw slid up the curve of her jaw and grazed her neck, just under her ear. A hard shiver suddenly wracked her frame, and Scar narrowed his eyes at the sound of her hastily smothered whimper. Had he hurt her? He'd barely touched her…

Purposely, he drew it over the area again, this time meticulously trailing it down her neck and collar bone. She gasped and swiftly took a step back, her head and shoulder jerking slightly in reflex to his touch, as if the area was incredibly sensitive.

Before he could explore it any further, a steady beeping from the intercom in her room pulled him back to reality.

As if awoken from a daze, his left mandible lifted in a snarl of annoyance.

What in _Paya's_ name had he been doing?

Ignoring the thoughts that had just been plaguing his mind, he turned and made his way out of the room.

Staring at his back, Lex finally released the shuddering breath that had been lodged in her throat. Her legs were trembling and her heart was beating like crazy. It took her a moment to collect herself before she turned and finished rinsing out her hair, eager to put what had just happened behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder as she scrubbed her nails over her scalp, wondering where he went.

Not a minute later, she was shocked to see him stroll right back into the bathroom without a second thought. She swallowed a bit nervously and lifted her arm again to cover her chest. He made his way over to a wall and she watched as a square section of it slid open at the touch of his thumb, revealing a large cubby. Grabbing some type of fabric from the unit, he turned to her and barked out a command.

Lex blinked, a little confused. Again, he barked and made a gesture with his hand for her to move forward. Deciding it was probably best to do as he said, she turned off the water. As she stepped out of the shower, he threw the material at her. She caught it and held it to her breast while he moved on to open another compartment in the wall.

Getting the message, she began drying herself off, careful of the painful wounds that still had yet to fully heal. She glanced down at her bandages on the floor, doubtful that she could reuse them. Just as she began to contemplate the issue, Scar's trill drew her attention to him once more.

She noticed the medical supplies filling the cubby he stood beside and, when he made another gesture she didn't understand, he huffed in impatience. Apparently growing annoyed at the language barrier, Scar reached out and wrapped his talons around her arm. With one firm tug, he hauled her closer to the cabinet and reached inside, pulling out a small container.

Lex didn't even bother to keep her arm over her breasts anymore. Though she didn't exactly want people staring at her naked body, it wasn't like she'd ever cared about modesty all that much before. Besides, he was an alien. Aliens probably didn't even notice that kind of thing. They all walked around in loincloths, anyways.

When he crouched before her, Lex's eyes followed his movements, watching as he grabbed one of her calves and lifted it from the floor. He pulled her leg a little closer and began spreading a clear, gelatinous substance over her burnt thigh. For a moment she expected it to sting, but when there was no pain she relaxed a bit more.

As he applied it higher on her thigh, Lex had to bite her tongue at the sensation of his fingers caressing her skin so gently. She was bound and determined not to make a fool of herself again, no matter how delightful it was to feel the occasional scrape of his claws over her flesh. After he finished with her leg, he moved up to her waist. His hand grabbed her hip and turned her slightly in order to better reach her side. She wanted to protest that she wasn't a doll and that she really didn't like being manhandled so casually, but the calloused texture of his fingers sliding across her ribs instantly shut her up.

She really didn't trust her voice to work properly at the moment.

Once he was done with her waist and hand, Lex stared blankly at the wall as he propped her foot up on his knee and began meticulously wrapping her thigh in bandages. She worked hard to blank out all her thoughts, ignoring the way his hand slipped between her legs, working higher and higher until she had to turn her head away completely. At that point, she almost stopped him to do it herself, but she knew she wouldn't be able to dress her torso without major difficulties. Instead, she kept her attention diverted elsewhere, studying the bathroom in great detail as she lifted her arms and he repeated the action at her waist, slowly winding the gauze higher and higher until his knuckles brushed the underside of her breast.

Even in the steaming hot room, Lex felt her flesh tingle and goose bumps spread outwards from where he touched.

When her face started to turn red, she realized she'd been holding her breath like some immature, nervous teenager. She was being ridiculous. He didn't seem to be bothered by her nakedness whatsoever, which was a relief. So, by the time he finished binding her hand, Lex had forced herself to relax in his presence, unwilling to offend him with silly human modesty that she was certain had no meaning or interest to him.

When he was done, he looked her up and down. Grabbing her upper arm, he turned her slightly to get a good view of his work, making sure none of the dressings were loose. Satisfied, he stood and tossed the rest of the supplies carelessly back into the cabinet before moving off, urging her to follow.

"Scar," she called as she began to wrap her towel around her body. It was huge and enfolded her nearly three times over. Hanging clear down to her knees, it turned out looking more like a baggy dress than an actual towel. "Thank you," she said and he stopped to glance back at her. It was hard to say if he understood her, especially by the way he just stood there staring at her. "It means I'm grateful for your help," she tried to explain.

He cocked his head, processing her words.

"Grateful, it means…appreciative," she attempted to clarify.

Apparently, one of her words finally registered and he stepped closer. Reaching out, he settled his right hand upon her right shoulder and gave it a light shake that nearly knocked her on her ass, no matter how gentle it had been.

"**Scar…grate…ful…Lehhhx.**" His words were fractured and poorly pronounced, but Lex could feel the respect and gratitude in the gesture. She lifted her own arm in return and placed her hand upon his shoulder to give it a firm shake that didn't even cause him to budge.

Growling in acknowledgment, he nodded his head in that slow, exaggerated way that all predators seemed to employ in their movements. He pulled away from her then and continued on his way out of the bathroom, expecting her to follow.

As Lex made her way into the other room, she found him pulling out more material from another compartment in the wall. She moved over to the pallet and lowered herself down onto her knees, unsure of what she should be doing. When he turned to her and tossed her a small bundle of fabric, she caught it deftly and blinked in confusion. She held the material up, examining it carefully and trying to decipher why he'd given it to her. When he pulled a dagger out from the holster on his thigh and handed it to her as well, she stared at the items, struggling not to show her bewilderment.

Scar crouched down onto his haunches beside her, resting his elbows on his knees and motioning towards the fabric in her hands. "_Kvar'asa,_" he said, slowing down his speech and removing as many of the clicks and growls from the word as possible.

Lex dropped her eyes to the smooth material again and ran her fingers over it. It was clearly from an animal, leathery and thin, also very flexible. The only use for it she could think of was clothing. But it was nothing more than a slip of fabric, it wasn't even in the shape any particular garment.

"Clothes?" she asked, lifting her gaze to him in question. It was hard to tell if the noise he made was an affirmation or not. She was beginning to realize there was a certain similarity to human mannerisms in his gestures, but there was also a fair amount of mannerisms and noises that she was totally unfamiliar with. Everything about him was based heavily on expressive body language and vocalizations, most of which were thoroughly foreign to her.

Scar watched her face closely for a reaction, half expecting her to protest the skins he'd given her and demand something more modest like most humans would. But as he observed her in silence, trying to gauge and decipher her expression, it proved more challenging than it should have been.

Oomans were usually highly emotional creatures with a wide range of facial expressions that seemed to broadcast their emotional status in much the same way body language worked for his kind. Although he was well acquainted with expressions that represented fear, disbelief, anger and disgust – that was about where the extent of his knowledge on the matter stopped. Still, it was incredibly difficult to get an accurate reading on this particular female. Where the few oomans he'd observed were often times exceedingly animated with their facial displays, this female was very stoic and composed. Even her physical stance was very restrained and controlled. She held a commanding presence even while surrounded by the more dominant males of her species that were much larger and stronger than she.

Holding the fabric against her chest, she wrapped it around her in a test to see if the size and length of the fabric would work for her.

"I think this will do just fine." He clicked his mandibles quietly as she met his gaze and lifted the corners of her mouth in a small smile. "Thank you, Scar," she said with genuine gratitude.

What a strange female, indeed…she never did as expected. Surely by now he should have realized this.

"Would you help me?" she asked as she adjusted the towel around her body, making it tight enough for her to free up her hands and work with the skins. "I'm afraid I don't usually spend my Sundays crafting loincloths from animal hides…I might need a little assistance."

Scar trilled as he furrowed his brow and cocked his head, not understanding a thing she'd just said. However, when he noticed she clearly didn't have a clue as to what to do with them, he got the message well enough and began instructing her on what to do.

She worked on the bottom first, cutting into the fabric and following his gestures as he walked her through the process. He would adjust her hold on the dagger accordingly and she would copy the angle of his arm, sliding the sharp blade through the leather as if it were made of butter.

By the time she finished, she stood and went into the adjoining bathroom to change. Though he wasn't sure why. He'd already seen her entirely bare. When she finally came back out, Scar eyed her approvingly. The attire fit her well, he had to admit. She didn't do half bad for her first try.

Ignoring the feeling of his eyes on her, Lex glanced down to examine her handiwork. She'd braided thin bands of leather to support the two tails of fabric that covered her front and rear end. While the sides of her hips and legs were completely exposed, the leather that dropped past her knees offered more coverage than she thought such a garment ever could. Lifting her hands, she made doubly sure her top was secure around her neck. With only so much fabric to work with, she'd only been able to piece together a vaguely halter-style top that that barely concealed her breasts – but did nothing to conceal the rest of her upper body. She'd gone a little overboard on the braided leather, using as much of it as possible to make sure what little fabric she had covering her _stayed_ in place. She didn't want anything…popping out. Though, she had to admit, the halter aspect of it offered a surprising amount of support. Plus, with the torrid heat and humidity in the air, having more skin exposed helped to keep her cool.

When she finished inspecting herself, she was a little disturbed to see he was already by the door waiting for her. She hadn't even heard him move…

Nothing that large and heavy should be able to move so silently, let alone so swiftly.

He didn't even wait for her as he stepped out into the hall. Assuming he wanted her to follow, she stepped after him. Her eyes couldn't help but notice the dagger she'd left on the pelt as she walked by it. Apparently he hadn't bothered to pick it up when they'd finished.

Lex slowed her steps and doubled checked the doorway. When she was certain she was alone, she quickly knelt down and snatched the blade up from the floor where it lay atop the furs. She almost wanted to curse its size, the damn thing was nearly longer than her forearm.

Thinking quick, she also picked up a couple extra lengths of braided leather. Working as fast as she could, she pressed the deadly blade flat to the inside of her bandaged thigh and proceeded to wrap the leather around it. She made sure to tie down both the hilt and the bottom of the blade, ensuring that it would not swing about and cut off a chunk of her flesh. Once she'd strapped it down, she secured it with a tight knot. Though it was a fairly sizeable blade, the fabric covering her hid it well enough and the leather braids would (hopefully) appear as nothing more than silly human decoration.

Scar's loud bark from the hall outside had her feet hastily moving forward. She reached the threshold just in time as he turned back to look at her with a suspicious glare.

Lex remained completely stoic, her face a perfect mask.

They stood in silence for several seconds as he looked her up and down guardedly, sensing something was off but not sure what. Under his stare, Lex easily maintained her composure. Turning from her with one last terrifyingly intense look, Scar huffed and continued on his way.

With his back finally to her, Lex let out a long breath of relief and followed along behind. That short moment had reminded her of how very intimidating Scar could be…and dangerous.

.

o0o

.

Translations:

_Kvar'asa _– hunter's clothes (unofficial)

**Wow, I never expected anyone to become interested in this story. I'm very grateful to those that have shown support, thank you for your reviews and such!**

**Anyways, this is where writing for this ship gets hard, because you don't have the script of the movie to fall back on anymore. You have to create something of your own, and it's kinda scary cuz you don't know if it's any good. **

Next chapter: Lex meets a clan Elder…and gets more than she bargained for!


	4. Chapter 4

.

**.: CHAPTER 4 :.**

o0o

.

Now that Lex didn't feel the need to run for her life, she was finally able to properly appreciate the fact that she was aboard a space ship. She made sure to absorb the sights of the halls Scar guided her through, welcoming this once in a lifetime experience. Everything appeared very sleek and modern and, even though she kept her guard up, she couldn't help but be captivated by it all. When he led her through a large archway that opened up into a huge dome, she stopped in her tracks. At the very top was a clear view of space, black and speckled with the occasional flicker of a star.

Around them, a few hundred predators mingled. It was loud and busy and completely overwhelming. She would've liked to stay and observe the full scale of everything, but she knew she couldn't get separated from Scar. He was her safety blanket in this place and she'd be a fool to let herself lose sight of him. Wherever he was taking her was likely important and she really didn't feel like getting lost again.

As soon as they stepped into the vaulted room, a sweeping silence filled the air. Nearly every hunter in the vicinity turned and stared at her, causing a stiff discomfort to overcome her. Despite Scar's complete dismissal of their open gawking, Lex had a little more trouble ignoring them.

He moved on, snorting in displeasure at those who didn't get out of his way fast enough. Though the top of her head barely came up to the middle of Scar's chest, she was beginning to realize that he was actually kinda…short for his kind. Everywhere she looked there stood creatures of seven and a half to eight feet tall. Some were of a fairly slender build, while others were outright monstrously bulky. Scar was more of the latter variety, though not terribly so. His physique was fairly broader compared than the rest, his muscles larger than most, but smaller than some of the hulking behemoths that she set her eyes upon in this room.

Lex kept pace behind her companion, trying not to feel and appear dwarfed by the aliens around her. She straightened her spine and kept her chin up, walking with total confidence and refusing to feel weak or intimidated. Curious trills echoed from every direction, even on the levels above them.

Lex kept her eyes on Scar's back until her view of him was abruptly cut off by a massive muscular chest. She had to bend her neck back in order to look up at the male that had so rudely cut her off. At around seven foot six, his size alone was nothing to be sneezed at. He completely overshadowed her. When he made no inclination to move or even speak, she blinked up at him for a moment and then stepped around him, dismissing his presence.

With just a shift of his body, he blocked her again, glaring down at her nastily. Lex got the message loud and clear.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was calm and polite as always, but it still held that edge of no-nonsense.

"_S'yuitde dah'lou-dte kale_," he said derisively. Leaning down slightly, he let out a quiet growl. "_Tvas'ra qwe'de tei sh'tla._"

Lex was a little surprised to hear anything other than grunts and snarls exit his mouth. She'd heard Scar use a strange word back in her room earlier, but she hadn't been able to tell if it was from an actual language, or just another one of his poor attempts to speak human. Now that she had her answer, she couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the language, even if she was sure he'd just insulted her.

The enunciation was still riddled with clicks and growls that she would never be able to replicate, but she could at least make out most of the syllables. Though…she did wonder what it was he was saying about her.

Lifting her eyes to his forehead, she took note of the fact that he didn't have the same mark that Scar had on his. In fact, he didn't have any mark on him at all.

Before she could contemplate it much further, the predator lifted his hand and ran his claw slowly over the symbol Scar had burned into her cheek. Anger swept through her veins like fire at the intimate action. That mark was _Scar's_. He was the one who'd scored it into her flesh…this bastard had no right touching it.

"_Kujahade di kiande amedha…Skahr vr'e pauk z'ajah kv'var-dei z'ajah._" Lex frowned when his claw wrapped around a lock of her curly hair. Without proper managing, it was now a mass of dark ringlets that haloed her head like something wild and untamed. From beside her, another male had taken a step towards her with equal interest, but a growl from the larger male abruptly stopped him in his tracks.

She wanted to push him away and tell all of them to leave her alone, especially when his eyes began to wonder down her body like he was mentally debating whether to skin her alive or eat her alive, but she refrained from doing so. The last thing she wanted to do was cause more trouble than she already had. She didn't want offend such a huge and powerful creature, let alone when she was surrounded by hundreds of his brethren. She had a feeling she was here as Scar's guest and she really didn't wish to make him look bad with her behavior. Besides, the only thing he was currently guilty of was invading her personal space…though she was still uncertain if he was insulting her or not. Oddly enough, that last remark had sounded more like a come-on than anything else.

Either way, nothing could have contained her surprise when a deep, throaty purr arose from his chest. It was surprisingly quiet, almost as if he was testing her reaction to it, and although the lower volume didn't have as strong an effect on her, it was still vexingly entrancing.

She watched, half-fascinated, half-horrified, as he leaned closer to her, his mandibles lightly moving over his jagged fangs.

"**Lehhcks**…" he said, causing her to gasp in surprise.

That was the second one that had known her name before she'd even introduced herself. Were they telepathic or something? How did it seem like every one of them already knew her? Had Scar told them?

In any case, he seemed very pleased with himself that he'd succeeded in shocking her. However, his moment of gloating didn't last long as Scar abruptly appeared from nowhere. He grabbed the predator's shoulder and backed him away from her with a brutal shove and feral growl. There was a split-second of unbridled tension between them, filling the air with a crackling electricity, before her accoster snarled and moved forward to jab Scar's shoulder provokingly, seemingly accepting whatever challenge had been issued.

The reaction was immediate. A crowd of yautja surrounded the two with jeers to acerbate their desire to feud, completely blocking off her view. Lex heard a roar and then all hell broke loose.

Fear was the first thing that ran through her mind. That predator was nearly twice Scar's size. Not to mention his injuries. He wouldn't stand a chance. Maneuvering through the growing mob, Lex used her smaller stature to her advantage and slipped between the predators, gradually making her way to the edge of the ring they had made.

Jostled by their massive bodies, she finally pushed into the opening and froze on the spot. She had fully expected to see Scar's limp body on the floor, bloodied and beaten. Instead, she was greeted with the sight of Scar beating the living shit out of the much larger predator.

She stood, rooted to the spot, as she watched Scar proceed to pummel the daylights out of him. Straddling his chest, his fist made full contact with each strike, pounding his head into the ground with an unforgiving strength. There was nothing graceful or polished about it. It was not like the smooth ease she'd seen him fight with back in the pyramid. It was brutal and aggressive and a little frightening.

Lex was unsure what to do as she continued to watch the ferocious bout. If Scar didn't stop, he would kill the other predator. Before she could do anything about it, the fight was over and Scar was standing over the unconscious loser, his mangled chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. His eyes found her standing at the edge of the crowd and, with a commanding bark bidding her to follow, he commenced his journey through the throng of predators. Not wishing to cause another scene, she cast one final glance to the defeated combatant to make sure he was still breathing and then trailed after Scar.

His walk held a distinct agitation to it that belayed his seething anger, radiating from every mottled inch of his hide. His shoulders were a bit stiff and his fists were clenched at his sides. Evidently that fight had really riled him up, though she couldn't understand why a fight had even been necessary in the first place. Had she been in danger or something? Perhaps that predator had meant her harm…if that was the case, she owed him her gratitude for saving her.

Apparently such violent frays were acceptable in his culture, considering not a single one of them had tried to stop the fight. In fact, they had shamelessly egged it on from the sidelines.

It was all rather barbaric…and even a bit exhilarating.

It took a while, but they eventually made it across the dome and out the other side, entering another hall that was much the same as the last one he'd led her through. Now that they were far enough out of that crowded place and she no longer needed to cling to his side to stay safe, Lex made sure to put a healthy distance between her and Scar. She could see how bunched his shoulders remained. His muscles would tense up and twitch every few seconds, as if he was trying to calm himself down but wasn't having any luck. Florescent green blood dripped from his knuckles, blood that Lex could not determine whose wounds it belonged to; his or his victim's. Obviously he was in a highly agitated state, but even before the fight he'd seemed to be in a rather bad mood.

She'd noticed it before when he'd been snarling and glaring at everyone he passed in the dome. It was odd to see him like this, considering in the pyramid he'd been so calm and unflappable. He was actually fairly similar to her in many ways. They both shared an aspect of levelheadedness that stood out from the rest of their kind. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why they'd been able to set their differences aside and work together so easily. Though, she still couldn't understand what had gotten him into such a terrible temper today.

The image of him beating the life out of something in such an animalistic way reminded her of how dangerous he was, particularly considering the creature had nearly been twice his size.

His kind hunted humans.

It was a fact that she wasn't going to deny.

But she wasn't going to hold it against him, either.

For her to arbitrate the actions of his people as if she were the sole judge and jury of the universe would seem disgustingly arrogant and self-righteous. Humans were not the center of the universe, although many believed they were. She could not tell him or his kind what they could and could not hunt simply because she so wished it. She could not hate him just because his way of life troubled her. Humans slaughtered hundreds of animals daily for the sheer sake of money and sport, not because they needed the meat. Lex was certain humans would merely laugh in the face of those persecuted animals were they to approach Earth's world leaders and demand liberation from the oppression of humankind. Even still, many more humans were killed in wars, massacred by their own species. Their deaths went unpunished, ignored by the countries and dictators that started the conflicts, simply because it suited their needs.

No, humans were no better than the predators. What was really terrifying was the fact that they were quite possibly _worse_. Her kind had hunted entire species to extinction. And yet, in the face of those past mistakes, they continued to destroy more species along with the habitats and ecosystems they lived in. Lex had a feeling Scar's kind would never do something so ignorant – for one to hunt a valued prey into oblivion, there would be nothing left to hunt.

Perhaps that's why the predators hunted humans in the first place…they saw how violent and deadly they were. After all, a hunter would only wish to track down the biggest, most vicious game to mount on their wall, something that could put up a good fight and leave them with an even better story to tell their comrades.

Lex had her values and her beliefs, but even she was not so conceited to assume her views were always the right views. Theirs was a species that had clearly been around for millennia, deeply ingrained in tradition and run by an intense structural code of honor – that is, if what she'd seen and gathered thus far was anything to go by.

These were things beyond her understanding. Humans were no longer at the top of the food chain. Apparently they never were. She was not so sanctimonious as to preach to him about his choice in ethics when it was clear humans themselves were lacking in their own sense of honor.

Lex would not sermonize him, moralize his tradition or lecture in his way of life. Such a thing would seem rather immature and narrow minded, not to mention naïve.

He was a true_ alien_.

Regardless, Lex was still a _human_. And as such, she would not throw away the principles and beliefs that had been deeply ingrained into her by her father. She wouldn't ignore them as if every lesson he had taught her meant nothing. Although she was wise enough to respect the fact that the predators always had and always would be different from her, it did not mean she would simply stand by and allow their kind to slaughter innocents in her presence perchance the occasion ever arose.

She was a human and refused to betray her kind so easily.

Despite the happenings in the pyramid, she'd found herself growing more and more attached to Scar. She couldn't bring herself to sugar coat his role, too many people had died for that. But, she also refused to ignore the bond that they had shared during that time. In fact, now that she thought about it…what was going to them happen now?

Her eyes lowered to the floor as she pondered this.

She would probably go home, Scar would leave with his people and then they would never see each other again.

It should be simple, yet…

Lex shied away from her internal thoughts and pulled her focus back outwards to her surroundings. Her eyes stayed fixed on the walls and floors, purposely avoiding Scar. For some reason, just the sight of him was causing her chest to ache. Every time she looked at him now, she only saw pain.

She saw the fact that she would have to leave him.

When they passed through the entrance of a new corridor, Lex's gaze was met with an entire wall that revealed a beautiful blue planet. It was Earth. She was at once awed by the beauty and saddened by it.

If they were still in orbit, that meant they indented to send her home, never to see Scar for the rest of her life. Her heart clenched at the very thought of it. She wished it would stop doing that. It wasn't as if she could stay here, and he obviously couldn't come with her.

At the end of the large observation deck stood the massive outline of another predator. As they made their way closer, she was able to distinguish the deep crimson cape flowing down his back and the long, graying tresses that fell around his shoulders.

She recognized him immediately. Such a magnificent and terrifying creature was hard to forget.

Scar stopped before him and offered a short gesture of respect before stepping aside, revealing the small human female that stood behind him.

Lex felt her pulse race under the Elder's intense gaze. His brow was drawn down sharply, giving him a permanent glower that was more than just a little intimidating. His eyes were much the same color as Scar's, perhaps a bit lighter. However, it seemed that was where their similarities ended. The fangs bracing his mouth were twice as large and many more times as frightening. The tusks of his mandibles were long and carved in a beautiful mosaic of ancient script that belayed his standing as someone of importance. Framing his brow and dusting his cheek bones were lengthy quills, all looking sharp and grey and dangerous. His very presence commanded respect.

Schooling her expression, Lex met his eyes briefly before offering him a respectful bow, recognizing the power and authority in front of her.

"Thank you for helping me," she said with gratitude. "I apologize for my behavior earlier, please understand my circumstances."

She heard that same slow trill that he'd given her the first time they'd met out in the snow. She had to wonder if he could even understand her. Despite the language barrier, she did wish to convey her thanks for their aid, even if they were the ones responsible for the entire mess. Bitching about it now wasn't going to change anything…though she did want to give him a good piece of her mind concerning the matter.

Lex wasn't going to lie to herself and pretend the people who'd died in that pyramid were her friends. She'd barely known them for a week and during that time she hadn't desired to make friends. They were clients, nothing more. To her it was pure business. It had been her responsibility to get those men out alive, no matter how arrogant and difficult they were being. But she had failed. Even with the interference of the predators, it had been her fault for not being adequately prepared. A proper guide should have been ready for anything.

Although she made it a point not to make friends, it didn't mean she didn't believe in being friendly. She'd gotten to know some of them quite well and it filled her with shame and guilt just thinking of the families those people had left behind. Miller had two boys, Sebastian had his dreams of making his mark on archeological history, Rousseau had her tasteless jokes…at least greedy old Weyland had his death wish granted. He had certainly gone down fighting…to protect her and Sebastian.

Friends or not, it hadn't made it any easier knowing their fates.

The Elder said nothing as he moved around to inspect every inch of her meticulously, circling her like a shark.

Under his scrutiny, she held her ground, refusing to be looked down upon because of her size. He didn't seem concerned or interested in her thanks or her apologies, leaving her to once again wonder if he even understood her words.

She made sure to keep an eye on him as he stalked his way behind her.

"Ooman…small," he chuffed in dismissal, unimpressed by her size. Lex frowned. "Kill_...__kiande amedha,_" he said, deliberately watching for her reaction.

"I had help." Her eyes settled on Scar just as the Elder circled around front of her again. "And my name is Lex, not ooman," she added, just shy of snapping at him. She met the Elder's stern glare as his large body blocked off her view of the younger predator. She'd shown him courtesy. If he wasn't interested in such formalities then she wouldn't bother with them, either.

However, he surprised her by completely ignoring her remark. Instead, he reached up and brushed aside her wild mane, examining the mark on her cheek. A muscle in her jaw twitched at his touch. She was beginning to get the distinct impression something fishy was going on here…

It had her on edge. The way he looked her over as if he were studying her for any and all weaknesses, it was downright suspicious. Her eyes narrowed as he grabbed her chin roughly, turning it this way and that. All the while, she remained on high alert and kept her body ready.

Over and over she asked herself if Scar would knowingly place her in a precarious situation, one that could be _very_ hazardous to her health. Lex mentally cursed herself for trusting him so freely in the first place. It had come so naturally, almost thoughtlessly, that it was frustrating at times. She never trusted anyone, not even humans. As far as she was concerned, most of the people she met were incompetent fools and they, in turn, believed her to be an uptight bitch. Men, women, it made no difference. More often than not, men were chauvinistic pigs not worth her time, while women were lazy, feminist brats who demanded the same equal rights as men without having to work to deserve them.

She had thought Scar was different, in more ways than just his appearance. It pained her to think she had been wrong…

When she noticed that distinct and focused look arise within the eyes of the Elder, her instincts started screaming for her to run the other way, but even she knew such a thing would be futile. This creature was built to kill. Her own strength and abilities were utterly incomparable. She may have a slight advantage with speed due to her size, but that was a cold comfort in the face of such raw power.

His imposing form made a perfect image of death. It was not difficult to envision him on some ancient battleground with the corpses of his enemies strewn about his feet in bloody piles whilst his cape billowed about behind him, torn and ragged.

"Lehx break..._yautja chiva_."

_Yautja?_ Is that what they called themselves? It that what all this was about? Had she offended them by proving herself better and stronger? Or maybe she had angered them by participating in some way? She had only been trying to survive. Even they could not fault her for that, only ignorant animals would be so intolerant. She'd survived because she had been willing to do whatever it took, even if that meant helping Scar.

"I didn't do anything wrong," she replied steadily.

The Elder's brow drew down as he fixed her with a burning stare.

It was difficult to tell what it was about the moment or the way he stood before her, tall and strong with his shoulders square and his chest proudly jutting out. But, as she gazed up into his unforgiving eyes, she knew that, _more than anything_, she wanted to be worthy of this mark. It was as if he was staring her down, reaching inside and searching for something within her. She wanted to prove that Scar hadn't made a mistake in giving it to her. She had painstakingly earned it with every second she'd spent in that godforsaken hell hole.

She wanted to prove she was strong and capable, that although she was not as large as them, she was just as proud and fierce. She was worth it…she was _worthy_.

As if sensing her fortitude and resolve, the Elder predator moved before she'd even had a chance to realize what was happening.

His hand swept behind him, pulling his spear out from under his crimson cape. His movements were fluid and fast and, without pausing or slowing down, he slid his thumb over the latch, extending the blades mid-swing.

It was only in that split-second as the blades expanded that Lex had the opportunity to recognize the danger and duck down, dodging a hit that would have surely taken her head off. Although she hadn't a clue what was going on or why he was attacking her, she wasn't about to stop and demand an explanation on the matter.

Instead, as she bent into a low crouch, she reached under her loincloth and grabbed the handle of the blade she'd lifted from Scar. She pulled it from its meager hiding place and bunched the muscles of her thighs tight, putting as much power in them as possible.

Releasing the spring-like tension in her legs, Lex launched herself forward and swung her arm out, causing the tip of the blade to dig into his abdomen. It slashed from the bottom right side of his hip, clear up to the underside of his left pectoral in a deep, diagonal cut.

A stunned sound came from both the Elder and Scar, clearly not expecting such retaliation from the little ooman. Her victory, however, was short lived and he swiftly rebounded with his spear. It swept low, knocking her off her feet. Before her ass even had a chance to hit the ground, he spun and shoved his elbow into her sternum.

Lex felt every ounce of air leave her lungs as she was thrown several yards back into the massive window of the observatory. Behind her, Earth went about its orbit, slowly rotating beyond the glass. It quietly urged her to get up, but her lungs erupted into a coughing fit every time she tried to inhale. She pressed her hand over the aching area, rubbing at it furiously to try and ebb the pain.

Another terrifying growl had her eyes snapping up to see the Elder standing before her, huge and regal and deadly. Instantly, she was on her feet, holding her dagger as she took up a defensive stance.

She was no fighter. All she had to depend on were her instincts and reflexes. But it was these strengths that radiated naturally from inside her. They had gotten her through many life threatening circumstances in the past, like dangling thousands of feet above the ground on rock climbing excursions without safety harnesses, or being trapped in frozen wastelands without backup, and even scouring foreign jungles in search of greater and grander mountains to climb.

She stood before him, still panting and struggling to breathe but trying not to show it. That hit she'd taken had aggravated her wound and it was throbbing like crazy. He'd made quick work of her and she was certain he would be able to do so again. At least she'd gotten a good shot in…

When he didn't attack, Lex stiffened in confusion. His posture wasn't as intimidating and that focused look in his eyes had faded. Giving her one last good look over, the Elder finally seemed to make up his mind about whatever it was he was debating.

"_Thar'n-dha s' yin'tekai,_" he said with a small but respectful bow of his head.

Lex remained silent as he lifted the spear between them. The sudden movement of the blades retracting back into their metallic bowels had her watching him warily, unsure of his intentions. She was hesitant, openly staring at the weapon as her mind processed what was happening.

Was he actually…?

As if in answer to her unspoken question, he lowered it closer.

Raising her arm, Lex held out her hand. She could feel her heart beginning to race as the full weight of the moment sank in.

He was showing her honor. He was accepting her. She had apparently passed whatever test it was that he had just put her through.

"_Mei-jadhi_." His voice held a deeper, more meaningful quality as he passed the combistick into her hand. The weight of the weapon settled against her upraised palm. If felt corporal and solid, yet oddly unexplainable. Her eyes danced over the grim blades protruding from the ends, all of them polished to perfection. They shined with a beautiful, lethal grace, catching the light of the room and making it sparkle. She lowered her gaze, studying the small tooth of some unknown animal that hung from its handle by a thin chain.

In her hand it felt sturdy and perfectly balanced. It was just a bit heavy, clearly meant for larger beings, but not terribly so.

Before she could even formulate a response, he turned from her with a flourish of his cape and strode away.

"_Na'vei jadhi phlal y'_," the Elder said to Scar as he passed him by.

His deep crimson cloak flowed behind him imperially and she couldn't help but stare after him with a strange sense of admiration and understanding. Such a warrior…Lex wondered about the things he must have seen in his lifetime, the foes he had faced.

He'd just attacked her, but she could see now that he'd actually been testing her. Although she believed there was probably better ways for him to go about it than just jumping her like that, she was surprised to find that she wasn't offended in the least that he'd done so. Lex liked to believe she was confident enough in herself to face such adversities head on without fear. Surviving the pyramid had not only exposed a whole new world to her, it also opened her eyes to her own inner strength, showing her all the things she was truly capable of.

When Scar stepped up behind her, his intense body heat alerted her to his presence. Turning, Lex lifted her head to gaze into his eyes. His brow was furrowed and his shoulders were stiff. He almost seemed troubled by something.

She could sense the tension in the air, radiating off him in waves. There was just something in the way he was looking at her…she didn't like it at all.

"Scar?" she ventured quietly, searching his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

She had to hold back her gasp when it suddenly dawned on her.

This was goodbye.

Lex licked her lips nervously, suddenly unsure of what to say.

Actually, she knew exactly what she wanted to say.

_You've become more than a friend. You saved my life. I owe you everything. I wish you wouldn't leave._

_I'm going to miss you._

But, just like before, the words got stuck in her throat and tangled on her tongue. They wouldn't come out.

It frustrated her. More than anything because she knew she was never going to see him again. Because, in circumstances like this, it was important to speak from the heart. She didn't have time on her side, she couldn't take his presence for granted. It was a fleeting thing and soon it would be gone. She couldn't afford to hold back.

Abruptly, Scar grabbed her upper arm and steered her closer to clear casement that offered a view of her planet. She looked down at the beauty of it; the eddies of white, swirling clouds, the pureness of the snowcapped poles, the soft green of the continents and the deep blue of the oceans that surrounded them. Gazing upon it, her focus shifted, catching her reflection in the clean glass before her.

Her hand reached out, gently running her fingers over the image of her planet, knowing that he would have to return her.

"Lehx…choose."

A cold shock suddenly went straight through Lex's body. Her heart literally leapt at his words, thumping against the inside of her ribcage until it started to hurt. Goosebumps spread over her flesh and her fingers very nearly dropped the spear the Elder had given her.

She had to wonder if she was actually hearing him correctly.

With wide eyes, she slowly turned to him, seeking confirmation that he actually meant what he'd said, that she wasn't misreading his words.

"_Scar…_" she breathed. It truly felt as if her heart was going a mile a minute and she couldn't make it stop. He trilled and tilted his head at her reaction, unsure if he had upset her.

Unable to look into his eyes for fear she had misunderstood him, Lex turned back to the image of Earth and brushed her fingers over the glass once more. "Are you...are you really offering me the chance to stay with you?" she asked, her voice unusually hushed. There was a moment of delay and she knew he was running the words over in his mind, trying to translate them to the best of his ability. Still, that lingering moment caused her chest to ache like an incredible burden was bearing down on her, waiting and agonizing over his answer when logic dictated that she shouldn't care about his answer at all. Because, no matter if he'd actually asked her to stay, that same logic dictated she was supposed to go home.

"_Sei-i,_" he finally said.

The corners of her lips tugged up slightly. The big idiot…he really should figure it out already that she didn't understand a damn thing about his language.

Outside the ship, Earth continued its rotation, seemingly indifferent to the space ship that hovered in its orbit.

Her dark brown eyes narrowed when she actually found herself considering the offer.

It wouldn't be easy…nothing would be normal ever again.

Then again, Lex had never strived for 'normal'. Normal people didn't climb Mount Everest for kicks, normal people didn't scale the most dangerous snowcapped mountains on their down time, and normal people didn't lead expeditions to the furthest corners of the globe as their day job.

No, when the disaster of the pyramid had struck, Lex did not complain. She did not ask, _why me_. She did not cry out and she did not break down and pray that things would just go back to being 'normal'. Such things would not have changed her circumstances. In those situations, all one could really do was strive to move forward and hope to make it through another day.

Lex's eyes saddened when she realized no one would miss her if she left. She had no friends, not even a pet or a houseplant that depended on her. There would be no family coming to look for her. Her father had been the only family she'd ever had, but he'd passed on several years back during their climb on Mount Everest. The fact that she owned her own house meant there wouldn't even be a tenant to come by and demand payment after several months passed. She had no siblings and with her house nestled deep in the forests of the Colorado Mountains it meant there wouldn't even be any neighbors coming to check on her.

She ran her own business, she was her own boss. It was lucrative and allowed her a few rare moments of free time between expeditions to do a little adventurous exploring of the mountains in her backyard. It also meant she had no employer to notice her disappearance.

Lex had to hold back a cynical chuckle when she was faced with the cold, hard truth that the first and only people that would take notice of her absence would be the light company. Pathetically enough, considering her bills were set up as direct deposit straight from her bank account…they'd probably only notice _after_ the money ran out. Even then, chances were they'd just cut off her electricity and never bother to call back.

Not that it would matter, anyways. Once the Piper Maru returned to shore, she would likely be labeled as either missing or deceased along with all the rest of the victims of the pyramid.

Her life was lived from hotel room to hotel room; dining alone at night in her suite, sitting on the bed with the glow of old television sets to keep her company, catching meals in airport diners, skating by hotel waffle bars for breakfast, never settling in one place for too long – and that was just the time she spent traveling between expeditions. The rest of her time was spent outdoors; sleeping in tents, surrounded by strangers, leading groups of scientists and business men and wealthy families on vacation into places they usually had no business being in the first place – and then she'd move on to the next group, never forming any lasting bonds with anyone, always floating from place to place.

It was only during the rare occasion that she returned home that she was able to really socialize, which she never did. Though, now that she was forced to take stock of her life, she now saw she only ever returned home three to four times a year…at max. There was no family, no girlfriends, no boyfriends.

There hadn't been a man in her life for many years.

She couldn't even remember the last time she'd thought about something like that. She hadn't allowed a man near her since she was a young, naïve sixteen year old teenager in high school…nine whole years ago…

Men were intimidated by her. They wanted to conquer her, to tame her...not date her. They were either too arrogant or too weak willed for her to find interest in – most of the time, they had nothing to back their arrogance up with, nothing to offer to justify all their conceit. They wanted to dominate her just to prove they could. With the direction her life had taken, particularly her career choice at such a young age, she'd been too busy to even look at the opposite sex. She made it an unwavering rule to remain strictly professional with the men in her expeditions. More often than not, those men were either pale skinned scientists who clearly didn't get enough sun or vulgar military men who believed it was acceptable to make offensive remarks when her back was turned.

Regardless, the reality of the situation was that she hadn't had a companion, a friend or even a confidant since she couldn't even remember when.

A shudder of dread ran through her when she realized this, the utter solitude filled reality that her life had become. She'd become a loner, a social cripple and a general nonconforming woman in the eyes of the world.

It wasn't that she wasn't happy with her life. She enjoyed it quite a lot actually. Not being tied down, roaming free and experiencing adventures that most ordinary people could only dream of. Lex indeed loved her life. She wanted for nothing and was satisfied with her accomplishments. She had certainly made her small but meaningful mark on the world.

While considering these things, her eyes drifted over to Scar and zeroed in on the wound just below his ribs. It was where she'd reached inside him and pulled that abomination free of his chest.

Without thinking, she reached out and carefully touched her fingers to the large mark, testing how well it had healed.

She didn't want to never see him again. For the rest of her life, she would be faced with his memory. She'd go home and forever be haunted by ghosts of the past. Every time she rounded a dark corner, every time she would lay her head down to sleep at night and every time she closed her eyes she would fear the shadows and what lay beyond them. She would wait for a glance of the long black skulls and listen for that spine chilling hiss. It would follow her until the day she died. She'd be permanently scarred and never allowed to return back to the blissful innocence of ignorance.

Nothing would ever be the same. There would be no readjusting from such a revelation, not realistically. She'd walk down the streets, see the faces of humans all around her and think how painfully, _stupidly_ oblivious they were.

Of course, she could try to forget and things might get better, but it would _always_ be there.

Lex knew she could return home and wallow in her grief, forever trying to fight off her demons like a coward too afraid to live. She could endeavor to find peace and erase the horrible images burned into her memories…or she could face those fears head on and refuse to be a victim.

It always was better to be proactive about things.

She could actually make a _difference_.

Going with Scar…it would allow her to hunt those aliens in retribution.

She asked herself what her father would want her to do. Should she return home and try to piece her life back together, or seize the biggest opportunity of a lifetime? This was a chance to see the stars and explore what no other human being would have the honor of experiencing. In this, she truly recognized the privilege they were offering her and she knew only a fool and a coward would turn it down.

She didn't want to settle for average. She wanted adventure and adrenaline filling every waking moment of her life.

Alexa Woods never believed in rushing into things. She followed a strict set of rules and guidelines and never broke out of these standards. Such heedlessness was foolish and reckless and got you nowhere. But Lex had already known what her answer was from the moment he'd asked. She knew what she had to do…what she _wanted_ to do. Besides, it was fairly obvious they weren't going to give her the luxury of time to ponder over her options. There would be no coddling from Scar or the rest of his kind.

There would be struggles and hardships she would have to face and overcome, but on this path maybe she could find a greater happiness.

Blinking back to awareness, Lex felt her cheeks heat up when she realized she'd been repetitively caressing that scar on his chest in a mindless stare. He was gazing down at her, his head still tilted in that deceptively innocent pose.

At her side, the weight of her newly acquired weapon felt good in her hand and she tightened her fingers around it. She wanted to show him she was strong enough to be by his side. She silently vowed to herself that she would not disappoint him. She refused to let him down.

Looking up at him, she offered a small smile as she pulled her hand away.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" she said, as if she were disappointed that he even had to ask. Hearing his curious trill, it made her feel oddly comforted in her decision. "I'm not leaving you behind…"

She turned from him then, feeling a thrill of excitement for the new journey that lay ahead of her.

"Well, come on," she urged over her shoulder as she paused halfway down the hall. "If I'm going to be staying, don't you think you should start showing me around this place?" Her good natured teasing seemed to confuse him. He stared after her, probably still trying to decode her odd human words and behavior.

Lex knew it wouldn't be easy. There would be adversities at every turn, but with her decision she would have to accept those struggles head on and find her niche in this new life.

Looking back at Scar, she knew the challenges would be daunting, but perhaps the payoff would be even better.

.

o0o

.

The first time Lex set her eyes upon the clan ship she had been at a complete loss for words. It had been half the size of Earth, perhaps even larger. It was beyond her imagination, beyond anything she could comprehend.

Barely a week had passed since her decision. She was just starting to get the hang of things when the clan ship came into view. The sheer size of it had figuratively knocked her on her ass. It hovered off in the distance, a tiny speck amongst the velvety blackness of space...but as they drew nearer, that infinitesimal speck kept growing bigger and bigger...and bigger. Before long, its presence took up the entire scope of the window she'd been looking out of, even when they were still miles away. There were lights and vents and windows and decks all across its surface. Smaller ships were flying to and fro, coming and going and buzzing about the massive structure in a veritable hub of activity.

It was breathtaking.

It had also made her fairly nervous. It represented more change that she wasn't ready for, especially when she was just beginning to settle into the groove of things on this vessel – a vessel that had once seemed so huge but now felt like a drop of water in the ocean compared to the clan ship.

She had learned so much in such a small amount of time. The yautja way of life seemed to be centered on a strong sense of honor and bravery. Above all else, honor ruled every moment of their lives. They lived for the hunt, only stalking down the most worthy game. They respected their prey more than she would have initially guessed, but that particular philosophy only seemed to apply if it gave them a good fight. The stronger the quarry, the more esteemed and desired they were as a prey item.

It was all for sport, but that sport was what they lived for.

The yautja collected trophies from every hunt, displaying them on their walls and wearing them as accessories to exhibit their skills. The more trophies a yautja had, the higher the status, particularly if those trophies were of an impressive size or origin.

Lex had never really put much thought into extraterrestrials and whether or not they existed, but she had always believed in the possibility of them. Although, she often questioned whether or not they were actually intelligent life forms or just mindless microbial bacteria squirming about on the face of Mars. Turns out, they were far more advanced than humans could ever hope to comprehend. The superior arrogance that mankind flaunted would surely crumble in the face of such a revelation.

Despite this, she was rather surprised by the amazing differences and similarities between their species. Their technology was remarkably parallel to Earth's, but far more developed. There was a set social structure, consisting of the warrior class and their denoted ranks. There was no rich, no poor and, aside from the Elder she'd seen, no real leaders. Status was earned through honor and trophies, and as an individual proved themselves they gained more and more respect. Strangely, it was in this very system that they seemed the most comparable, and simultaneously the most dissimilar. Like humans, the more 'wealth' one achieved, the more affluent the lifestyle. Just like a human man who was very successful and wealthy attracted the best women and admiration of his peers, a higher ranked a yautja male probably also received the most desired females, along with the respect of his fellow hunters. It was the law of the jungle, only in contrasting terms.

However, Lex was uncertain as to jut how many of these ranks and classes their were in their hierarchy. The Elder she had met with seemed to be at the top of the totem pole and she felt safe in assuming he would likely be the one who handled any situations should a true crisis emerge. Though, she was curious if there were other Elders, or if he was only one.

They seemed to respect him greatly and looked upon him with incredibly high esteem.

Aside from their trophies, yautja only hunted what they could eat and would only eat what they could hunt. As predators, she found that they really, _really_ enjoyed their meat. Turns out, they had a particular inclination towards the beef stock on Earth.

Imagine her surprise when she'd first made the connection between cattle mutilations and the yautja. Lex would be the first to admit that she lacked a decent sense of humor, but thinking back on all those stories of hillbillies wailing on about their cattle being abducted by aliens, leaving behind dismembered bodies and missing genitalia, only to realize it had been true…even _she_ could not help the small tug that threatened to curve the edge of her lips.

Even with everything she'd learned thus far, there was still one element of their society that she had yet to learn about, or even see for that matter; females.

She hadn't seen a single one since she'd been taken aboard their ship.

Lex had begun to wonder if they even _had_ any females. If they did, what were they like? What if their women were like female Klingons: fierce and independent and terrifying. She was a little excited by the thought. If they were as brutal as the men then maybe she would stand a chance at being treated as an equal. Then again, they may view her as nothing more than a puny little human unworthy of even spitting upon.

The manner she'd been treated thus far was a little puzzling, to say the least. The males seemed absolutely fascinated by her, almost as if they were smitten. She had often mistaken their curiosity for aggression, but as time went on she had begun to question just _what_ exactly it was they were so curious about. Surely they'd seen a human before, why should she be any different?

Lex had expected many things when she'd accepted Scar's offer, but certainly not this. She figured she'd be met with hatred and distaste at every turn, and while there were a select few who did seem to avoid her, most were far too preoccupied in trying to win her attention than assassinating her like she had initially predicted.

Scar was always by her side, helping her acclimate to her new life. She'd appreciated it greatly, but he often fretted over her like a mother hen. She was beginning to wonder if he thought she was too frail to handle certain things just because she was human. When she had agreed to stay, she'd wanted to prove to him that she was strong enough to be integrated into his culture and she fully intended to show him exactly that. Just because she wasn't made up of ninety percent muscle mass didn't mean she was incompetent.

Now feeling frustrated by the thought of being underestimated, Lex shoved aside the new loincloths and breast coverings she'd been working on. Too aggravated to bother trying to finish the skins, she made her way into the bathroom of the quarters they'd been allowing her to stay in. She often wondered whose room it had been before, as it clearly used to belong to someone. The trophies and weapons on the walls pointed to a hunter, and she suspected it was one of deceased origin.

Distracting herself form the thought, she busied her hands with removing the bandages around her wounds. Today they were supposed to come off for good. Their medical treatments had hastened the healing to an extraordinary pace.

Still, she was glad there were no mirrors in the lavatory as the bandages fell to floor.

Lex swallowed as she examined the scars that were left behind; the hideous burns on her thigh, the groove where the Queen's tail had gorged into her side and the mutilated heel of her thumb surrounded by even more burns. The flesh was slightly paler than her light ebony complexion, making them stand out even more. At least the small burn mark next to her lips had completely healed over, leaving behind no trace of the alien's blood.

It was a small consolation.

She wasn't the type of person to be self-conscious about her image, but even she could recognize the ugliness that marred her body. All that crap people spilt about scars making a person better, reminding them that they were a survivor, was utter bullshit. Her own memories served to remind her of that well enough. Scars were ugly and misshapen and unattractive. Nobody wanted to look at scars, or even touch them, for that matter.

She'd been hiding behind her bandages all this time, but now she had nothing to cover up with. She certainly wasn't going to do something as stupid as try to fashion human clothes to wear in this heat. The yautja kept their ship boiling hot and these skimpy furs were the only things standing between her and a heat stroke.

Biting her lip, Lex made her way over to the wall and slid open the cabinet that held the medical supplies. There was plenty of extra bandages in there and though she may not need them anymore, she would wear them regardless. It was the only thing hiding the unsightly markings.

As she finished up she reattached her spear to the leather strap at her hip and tucked another dagger she'd borrowed from Scar's weapon stock to the inside of her thigh. She probably could have used any number of the armaments hanging upon the walls in her room, but considering she didn't know whom said weapons belonged to, along with the fact said weapon's owner was likely deceased, she just didn't feel right using them.

Making her way back into the living space, she began running her fingers through her wild mane of curls, trying to get them under some semblance of control. She was really going to have to make herself a comb or something. This whole using her fingers as a brush thing was getting out of hand.

When Lex walked through the archway, she was a little surprised to see a tall yautja leaning against the wall beside the entrance to her quarters, waiting for her with his arms crossed.

Glancing at his face, instant recognition hit her. It was hard not to remember the mass of burns spread across his countenance and his missing mandible, not to mention that faded left eye that he was undoubtedly blind in. He was the yautja that had apprehended her back in Antarctica and then again when she'd tried to escape after waking up on the ship. She'd gotten in a good hit or two on him, but she had since come to the conclusion that he'd likely been going very, _very_ easy on her.

She blinked in surprise before she instantly tensed up, her hand dropping to her side to rest on the combistick that hung there.

Uncrossing his arms, her nemesis pushed away from the wall and chuffed at her in amusement. Something in his eyes told her he was actually enjoying her hostility towards him.

"You're…Wolf, right?" she ventured.

He trilled in approval, pleased that she remembered his name.

She wasn't sure what he was doing here or if she should trust him, but she couldn't sense any animosity or danger from him, either. She had sort of come to view him as her mortal enemy during that first day here. Although, it was quite apparent that if he'd ever wanted to hurt her, he could have.

"Why are you in my room?" she asked, still watching him closely. "Is there something you need?"

"Neeed?" he echoed.

"Yes, what do you need?" she repeated herself. "What do you want?"

His remaining good eye lit up a bit at that.

"Want...Lehx."

Well, that was a little disconcerting.

Lex swallowed, unsure of what he meant. Did he want to finish her off? Maybe bring a conclusion to their battle? From where she was standing, she could see an engraving upon his forehead. It was the same rune as hers and Scar's, marking him as blooded. But, what really caught her eye was the veritable paragraph of script etched into the mask hanging at his hip. There was so much of it. He must've been an incredibly decorated warrior. It would be really stupid of her to try and pick a fight with someone like him, especially in a place like this. Without Scar here to back her up, she really didn't feel like risking it.

Perhaps she could talk her way out of it...

"Listen, I'm not sure what you're doing here, but I don't want to fight you." She bravely lifted her hand from her combistick to show a sign of good faith. Wolf cocked his head slightly, trying to decipher her odd human behavior "What do you say we call a truce for now?" She stepped forward and extended her hand out to him. "Deal?"

When he didn't seem to protest her growing nearness, she closed the gap a little more, making sure to keep her movements as slow and unthreatening as possible. She felt a little more secure in the knowledge that he didn't appear interested in a fight this time around and began to lower her guard because of it.

"Deal?" she asked again, this time a bit more softer. Having lost some of the tension in her voice, it equally began to drain from her body.

However, all of that apprehension suddenly flooded right back into her person when his hand shot out and snatched up her forearm, yanking her forward into his chest.

Bending down, he lowered his face close hers. "Deeaal," he rasped in that deep, gravely timbre.

She hesitated, mentally debating whether she should kick him in the shin and make a run for it, or just try to stay calm. Opting for the latter, she pushed back her nerves and nodded once.

"Good then," she swallowed thickly, settling her hand on his chest for lack of a better place to put it. "I'm glad that we can come to an agreement."

The second her hand touched him, he squeezed his talons tighter around her small wrist and began purring.

Lex instantly tried to pull back, though to no avail. "Hey, _none_ of that shit," she bit out, narrowing her eyes at him warningly. Truce be damned, she didn't care if she offended him or not. That damned purring was way too dangerous. It completely knocked out all of her senses, leaving her utterly defenseless.

Thankfully, at her protest, the noise sputtered in his chest before completely dying out. It had actually stopped and Lex visibly relaxed. At first, he appeared slightly perplexed, as if he couldn't figure out why she disliked it. But then his remaining upper mandible lifted in an arrogant smirk as he pulled her closer, apparently finding humor in discovering just how potently that sound affected her – and how adamantly she was trying to avoid it. For just a brief instant, she could tell he was going to start it up again. She could see it in his eyes.

Quickly, Lex leveled him with an intense glare and he let out a disgruntled rumble, promptly foregoing any further attempts to purr her into stupor.

With an ill-tempered exhale that sounded eerily similar to a human sigh of exasperation, he suddenly reached down, wrapped his arm behind her legs and threw her over his shoulder without a single warning.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lex stiffened against him immediately, pressing her hands against his back to balance herself enough to turn and shoot him another glare. "I really don't know what you want, but I suggest you put me down, _Wolf_," she spat his name harshly, but he only ignored her.

"_Nracyi-te dah'pyode amedha kale,_" he mumbled under his breath as he proceeded to make his way out the door.

Lex struggled to keep her temper under control whilst they ambled along to who-knows-where. She didn't know where or why he was taking her and she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out. What she really didn't like was the way the other predators stared as they passed by, making her feel utterly ridiculous.

"I have legs, you know. I _can_ walk," she spoke as amiably as possible, trying not to piss him off. After all, with his hand currently gripping the back of her thigh to keep her in place, he could probably snap her bones with nothing more than a squeeze.

He merely continued on as if she hadn't said anything at all.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Lex decided to just make the best of a bad situation. Settling in, she propped her elbow up on his shoulder and dropped her chin into the palm of her hand, tapping her finger against her cheek impatiently as she waited to see where he was taking her. She still couldn't help but be impressed by these creatures' strength. Currently, he bore her weight as if she wasn't even there. His stride and pace was completely unaffected by the extra burden. Though, what really got to her was the sheer distance between her and the floor. It gave her a slight sense of vertigo being so high up. It also gave her a hint of unease, hoping he didn't drop her.

As they moved along, Lex studied the halls they crossed, along with the yautja within them. The question of the missing females popped into her mind again, brought on by the fact that she still hadn't seen a single one. Her curiosity on the subject was eating away at her.

"Hey, assho-...um, Wolf?" she called over her shoulder, literally having to pause for a moment when she very nearly called him 'asshole'.

Her nemesis only replied with a faint grunt, just to show he was listening. Though, she doubted he understood a word she was saying.

"Where are all the women of your species?" He didn't say anything, so she continued. "Don't you have any females? You know...what's the word..._luu-dte kalee_? I haven't seen any since I've come aboard." Still no response. "Maybe the males and females just look alike...androgynous perhaps?" Lex muttered to herself, then turned to captor. "_You're_ not a female, are you?"

Wolf suddenly turned his head and growled at her crudely, apparently taking insult.

So, he could understand her.

Lex smirked. "Just checking to see if you were still listening."

He eyed her for a second before focusing back ahead of him, huffing in dismissal. After a few more moments of traveling in silence, her curiosity started to take over again. The thought of males and females began drudging up questions about how they interacted with one another. She also started wondering if they took permanent spouses like humans, or if it was just a simple 'meet and greet' type of system. What did their women look like? Were they pretty? What was the general practice for coupling? Did Scar have a woman?

Lex promptly frowned at the thought. Troubling as it was, she suddenly _needed_ to know the answer.

"Does..." Lex cleared her throat, her voice evidently unwilling to cooperate. "Does Scar have a...a female?" she asked hesitantly.

Wolf abruptly tightened his hold on her thigh and turned his head again to give her another sharp, displeased snarl.

Lex grimaced. "Geez, sorry I asked." She quickly looked away and went back to staring down the hall, dropping the subject altogether. She could feel the vibrations of a deep, soundless growl rumbling in his chest, along with the tension in his shoulders as he began walking in a rougher, more agitated manner.

"_Kre'di en traskv' Skahr swei'q,_" Wolf uttered under his breath.

Lex cast him an odd look from the corner of her eye, though from such an angle she really only succeeded in glaring at the back of his head. She hadn't heard much of what he said, not that she'd be able to translate it anyways, but she had caught the rather distasteful way he'd spat Scar's name. Did those two have a grudge or something?

She didn't have the chance to ponder over the matter, for in the next moment Wolf shifted his hold on her and dropped her to the floor. She was just able to right herself in time to land on her feet. As such, she had to restrain herself from sending him another withering scowl.

"Thanks for the warning," she said as she pretended to dust herself off.

He didn't answer. Instead, he raised his arm and pointed behind her.

With a quiet sigh, she planted her hands on her hips and turned to see whatever it was he'd found necessary to carry her halfway across the ship to look at.

_That_ was the first moment she set her sights upon the clan ship.

They were in the observatory, and off in the distance was a structure so humungous it almost made her heart stop. It appeared small at first, way off in the distance, but it quickly grew in size. Soon enough, it was the only thing in sight.

She stared out at the colossal ship breathlessly. When a huge access panel on it slowly rose up to allow them entrance, she stepped closer to the glass to watch in anticipation as a whole new world opened up before her very eyes.

The blackness of outer space gradually disappeared as they floated into the spacious port, the thick walls of the clan ship slowly passing them by along the way.

The hatch behind them slid closed and a loud hissing sound filled the outer compartment, decompressing the cabin. All around her, she felt a shift in pressure and the ground under her feet rumble. Moments later, they were moving forward again as another mammoth sized gate opened up to bring them to port.

"It's amazing," she managed to say.

"Lehx…cuhhm," he urged again.

Nodding dazedly, she allowed him to grab her arm and lead her away. It wasn't long before they entered a massive loading dock and she nearly froze her in her tracks at the view that greeted her.

It was the inside of the clan ship. And it was massive.

If she had thought the dome in the cruiser was large, then this was in an entire class all of its own. She followed Wolf down a large ramp that led out of their ship, feeling a little overwhelmed by the sight of the harbor. Space ships and other unknown crafts of all sizes were everywhere, completely taking her breath away. There was levels and levels of them, both above and below deck, offering a seemingly endless view of shuttles and barges.

Around them, yautja stopped and stared at her, making her feel a little uncomfortable. Their gazes were distinctly less friendly than those she'd experienced thus far on the smaller cruiser that had picked her and Scar up from Earth.

Lex merely hardened her eyes and moved on without bothering to give them a second glance. She made sure to keep pace with Wolf, but also left a slight distance between them just to dispel any impressions that she was clinging to him for safety.

Not far outside the harbor there was another dome-like structure. However, this one was many times larger than the one on the cruiser. There were levels stacked upon levels circling the perimeter of the wall, like a spire reaching to the very top. On every floor there were trading stands set up, run by strange looking humanoid aliens that were clearly not of yautja origin. Some were thin and sleek, while others were not very attractive at all.

It was like a city, parts of it were slightly grungy and old looking, while other sections looked a little newer. There were alleys and vending booths, some of them peddling goods that she had never seen in her life.

All of this, and it was only one small part of the clan ship. She couldn't even imagine what the rest of it was like.

The sheer amount of yautja in the area was far too vast to count. Each one of the hulking muscular behemoths she passed glared at her nastily, some looking as if they were debating all the different ways to string her up and disembowel her simply for daring to be in their presence. It also seemed some of the strange humanoid aliens running the stands looked on in interest at the small human female.

However, what really interested her was the manner in which others were treating her escort. They could scarcely move through the crowd for the endless greetings Wolf was receiving. For every step they took there was another yautja to accost the hunter upon his apparent return to the clan ship. She'd lost count of how many of his brethren had grabbed his shoulder and gave it a shake firm enough to dislocate her arm. She had to admit she was a little curious. He seemed as if he were someone of importance.

Stealing a quick glance down to the utility belt around his hips, she ran her eyes over his mask again. Her hunch must've been right. All those runes gouged into the metal likely meant he had standing amongst his species.

She was hoping his presence would distract them from hers, but she was still getting more stares than he was getting greetings. It was definitely getting to her, but it was to be expected. She knew it would've been impossible to just walk into their society and mesh perfectly. Whether it was humans, yautja or any other species, things like this had to be taken slowly. Acceptance would come in time.

Still, she was damn glad she'd made sure to keep her combistick with her.

Unable to stop from exploring, Lex walked up to a weapons stand, looking over all the deadly blades and stacks of armor curiously.

"Wolf," she called over her shoulder. "What is all this?" she asked as he came up beside her. They were nothing like the yautja weapons she had seen. The design was different and they all varied in size and shape. They didn't even appear to be of the same origin.

_How unusual_, she thought. She was under the impression that all yautja made their own weapons. Actually, from everything she'd seen in her short time with them, it seemed as if they did everything for themselves, from hunting their own meat to skinning their own furs. Maybe it was a cultural thing…

Wolf looked from her to the weapons, his upper mandible lifting as he noticed her interest.

Picking up an ornately carved stiletto that she had been particularly enamored with, he twirled it around his finger expertly before dragging it down her cheek with a drawling purr. "Lehx…like?"

Lex chuckled dumbly, trying to push down her goofy smile and ignore the way that purr melted her bones to mush. Hearing that sound, she couldn't help but think of the nights she would wake up in cold sweats from her nightmares, wishing Scar had been close at hand, reassuring her with his purr. She hated that feeling. She wasn't a child and she hated the fact that she'd desired him by her side like some invalid incapable of coping on her own.

"Yes," she admitted on a whisper, trapped in the hub of those vibrations. "It's all...very interesting." She felt her eyes beginning to droop and her muscles going weak.

However, before another word could be said, a large hand latched onto her arm from behind and spun her around with an unforgiving force, yanking her out of her trance. She was almost thankful for the distraction, until clawed fingers reach forward and seized her jaw without an ounce of gentleness.

Lex struggled against the iron grip, glaring up into the face of a massive yautja as he turned her head to the side and stared down at the mark on her cheek with contempt. From behind her, Wolf's loud and commanding bark was the only thing that prompted the unknown predator to release her, though he did so with a harsh shove. The force of the push had nearly knocked her over, causing her to crash backwards into the stand she'd been perusing only moments earlier.

Growling contentiously, Wolf was in the predator's face in a second, facing off in a deadly exchange of wills.

As Lex found her feet, she looked up to find her aggressor motioning towards her with abhorrence. He hissed and clicked at Wolf, as if he were offended by the mere sight of her. Really, she should have known better than to expect anything less. She may have gotten a fairly warm welcome on that first ship, but apparently there was a different standard here. The mark that Scar had given her didn't seem to sit well with some of them. It was only logical to assume she'd be constantly challenged to prove that she deserved it.

She frowned as she watched from the sidelines, the confrontation only escalating.

Scar had given her this mark in a show of his respect. She'd be damned if she didn't defend her right to own it. She'd also be damned if she just stood back and allowed this goon to insult the significance of her mark. She would prove that Scar hadn't made a mistake in choosing her. She may not be a fighter, but he was wrong to assume she was weak based solely on the fact that she was small and human and female.

"Hey!" she called sternly, causing both parties to pause. They turned to her and Lex eyed the yautja harshly, meeting his caustic stare with one of her own. She examined his size and appearance, trying to get a good reading on him. At nearly the same height at Wolf, he was almost seven and a half foot tall, but much more muscular than her slender built escort. He had the usual layer of mesh covering his body and several small animal skulls draped across his chest – at his hip, she even caught sight of a human skull, old and slightly yellowed from the passage of time. He had a marking on his forehead, broadcasting his warrior status, although it appeared to be of a slightly different character than the rest. A different clan, perhaps?

Lex stepped forward, moving directly between the two yautja to face her aggressor. Bending her neck back, she stared up directly into his eyes as he let out a terrifyingly low growl.

"You have something to say to me?" she asked, her face a mask of steel as she refused to lower her eyes from his.

Slow and deliberate, he leaned forward in an effort to intimidate her.

"Pathetiik…ooman," he drawled condescendingly. "Un-wor-thee of...marrrk." His mandibles tightened as his eyes gestured scathingly to her cheek, causing anger to swell within her.

She felt her chest rising and falling rapidly as her fury rose with each passing second. Seeing that he'd hit a nerve, he chuckled deeply. The sound grated on her nerves and her pride. It made her jaw clench and her teeth grind with the desire to make him eat his own words, preferably choke on them.

It was then that Lex made what was quite possibly one of the stupidest decisions of her life. Lifting her hand, she emulated the one trigger she'd seen other yautja enact to initiate a fight; she reached out and jabbed his shoulder with a single hard shove.

.

o0o

.

Translations:

_S'yuitde dah'lou-dte kale_ \- pathetic little child maker

_Tvas'ra qwe'de tei sh'tla_ \- I wonder if you are truly worthy (unofficial)

_Kujahade di kiande amedha…Skahr vr'e pauk z'ajah kv'var-dei z'ajah_ \- Destroyer of hard meats…it is no wonder Scar cannot decide whether to fuck you or hunt you (second half partially unofficial)

_Na'vei jadhi phlal y' _ – it is her choice now (unofficial)

_Thar'n-da s' yin'tekai _– strength and honor

_Mei-jadhi_ \- sister

_Sei-i_ \- yes

__Nracyi-te dah'pyode amedha kale_ _\- stubborn little soft meat female

_Kre'di en traskv' Skahr swei'q_ \- Scar is hardly worth your thoughts (unofficial)

**I really wish someone would make a Celtic/Rousseau fic. That would be awesome. Why hasn't this been done yet?**

**Anyways, not much action in this chapter, but there will be in the next. Again, thank you for everyone's support and feedback! It's much appreciated. **


	5. Chapter 5

.

**.: CHAPTER 5 :.**

o0o

.

Lex felt a moment of victory when the yautja's eyes suddenly widened. His imposing form nearly jolted back from the shock and his growl stuttered to a complete stop. He leaned back out of her face, straightening his spine to his full height to stare down at her. All around them passerbys and bystanders froze at the sight of the petite human female challenging a full grown yautja warrior. From behind her, she heard Wolf's trill of satisfaction, apparently _very_ pleased by her actions. For some reason, it puffed her up, making her feel bigger than what she probably should have.

However, her small victory proved to be rather short lived when the reality of what she'd just done began to set in. Every muscle in his body began to bulge and twitch. His entire hide slowly started to bristle until his scales were practically rattling. She could have sworn he grew another inch in that moment as he glared down at her. Abruptly, he leaned back down into her face, so close she could feel the heat from his breath. He growled threateningly, the rumbling noise twice as deep and just as deadly as before. Making sure to dig his claws as deep into her flesh as possible, he reached out and settled his hand on her shoulder. He squeezed it hard and Lex's eyes watered in protest. She ground her teeth, forcing herself not to cry out. Then, just as suddenly, he gave her shoulder a returning shove of acceptance to her challenge.

Lex gasped as she flew back several feet and landed hard on her ass from the sheer force he'd put behind it. Laughter rung out around her in a booming chorus, most particularly from her aggressor, who stood at the head of the crowd, clicking out a series of words that were clearly mocking. Humiliation flooded her in torrents, filling her with a mixture of indignity and rage. His strength really brought to light the gravity of the situation she'd just put herself in…and it didn't look good. All of this over a little insult. She shouldn't have done it, she never used to let these kinds of things get to her. It was beneath her.

She didn't choose to stay with Scar to be a warrior and gain honor and prove herself. She stayed with him because the chance it offered to purge the galaxy of the xenomorphs, maybe even show Scar that she could be his equal. Sure, she wanted to make everyone understand she deserved this mark, but that didn't mean she had any business imitating his kind. But now, with this yautja's haughty face staring down at her with a disgusting level of superiority...she had no intention of backing out of the challenge.

Clenching her fists, she pushed herself to her feet and glared at him wrathfully.

As she stepped back up to him, he reached out and shoved her shoulder again in a gesture that was obviously meant to belittle her and her challenge. Lex staggered back once more. She hadn't even caught her balance yet as she reached down and unclipped her combistick from her hip. Without missing a beat, she slid her thumb over the lever, extending it. The look of disbelief in his eyes certainly felt good as she gripped it with both hands and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Putting all of her weight behind it, she swung her staff around in a wide arch and wacked him straight upside the head before he could even see it coming.

His dreads were sent flying sideways from the force, the long tendrils smacking against his face as blood sprayed from his mouth. The display was only overshadowed by the distinct crack of a what was quite possibly a broken mandible. His roar of fury proved that he had not been expecting her to retaliate so quickly, let alone at all. It had been his own fault for being unprepared.

Not wasting another second, she twisted back around and, with a more precisely aimed blow, sent her blade plunging deep into his side.

Although it didn't really feel right being so violent like this, she had seen these creatures take far worse damage than anything she was likely capable of inflicting upon them. On top of that, she knew if she wanted to survive in this society she had to adapt to their ways of life, and it was a violent life, indeed. Both of them had known the risks going into this fight, now Lex would have to accept these risks head on.

On the other hand, she was beginning to realize just how foolhardy this endeavor really was.

The yautja in front of her barely even flinched at the blade she'd just buried several inches into his flesh.

She didn't stand a chance against him…

Around them, the gathering crowd's laughter was immediately exchanged for howls and jeers to badgered them on. She'd drawn first blood and they erupted into a fit of impressed trills and annoyed growls to see the human had already gotten the drop on one of their own.

Before she could even formulate her next move, her adversary grabbed the shaft of her combistick and pulled its blades out from his side with a deliberate slowness, sneering at her all the while as if to say, _is that all you got?_ With a mere tug on the staff, he yanked her forward. Her eyes widened when she noticed his leg lift, but it was too late. He planted his foot directly in her sternum. Hard.

An overwhelming shift in momentum immediately followed as she went reeling backwards.

Lex gasped relentlessly when she hit the ground, heaving and choking on her own saliva. The kick had completely knocked the wind out of her, and then some. Her chest convulsed as her reflexes automatically began trying to suck air back into her lungs before she could handle it, causing her to groan in pain.

She hadn't even gotten the chance to catch her breath before he was on her again. His sharp claws were at her scalp, pulling her up by the root of her hair. He hauled her off the ground, leaving her feet dangling in the air. She clenched her eyes shut and cried out from the wretched burning, thrashing and kicking with all her might as she reached up to try and dislodge his grip. Her small fingers had no effect on him, even as she clawed and scraped at his hide with her nails.

Rearing her leg back, she rammed her foot hard into his gut.

She nearly screamed when pain shot up her leg. Without shoes, it only made it all the more excruciating. The bones in her foot throbbed torturously, singing in harmony to the sting tearing through her scalp. The kick had left her in torment, while he hadn't even so much as blinked at her efforts. It was like kicking a brick wall with her bare feet.

"God! What the hell are you made of, you ugly mother-"

"**Mothur-fuckurrr!**" he growled in her face, making her freeze in shock.

"W-what the-?!" she was cut off once again as he suddenly threw her into the wall of the dome. This time, Lex couldn't hold it back, she cried out in agony as she felt her back impact with the hard metal surface and then crash down into an unfortunate vendor's stand. Her vision swam and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. Her eyes were threatening to roll into the back of her head and her arms seemed to be having trouble lifting her up.

She watched through drooping lashes as the crowd began to spread further out, granting her attacker passage as he slowly made his way over to his quarry.

Everything was hurting and every time she tried to find her legs, she only fell back down into the rubble of the stand she'd landed on. She started to curse her inability to properly foresee this outcome. What was she thinking, trying to be like them? She knew she could never compare to their strength. She'd just wanted to prove to Scar that she was strong enough. She wanted to show the others he wasn't wrong to mark her, that she was special.

That she...that she could stand beside him as an equal.

Reaching up, her shaking fingers found the mark on her cheek and she stroked it comfortingly.

Just touching it caused flashes of the pyramid to race through her mind. Her first meeting with Scar, the time she had protected him after removing the alien from his chest, the times he'd protected her, the Queen…that small, quiet minute on the ice when he'd marked her.

The look in his eyes…

Something powerful and energizing charged through her entire body at that moment. It forced her to get up, to move and to _fight_.

She'd show them.

They were wrong to underestimate her.

She'd make them pay for insulting her honor.

Finding her inner strength, Lex felt her nerves settle as she got to her feet. She was surprised to find she still had her combistick in her hand. She hadn't let go of it once, not even through the pain.

Altering her stance, she bent her knees slightly and swiftly brought her spear in front of her. She wasn't going to allow another opening in her defenses. This was her first fight and all it took as a little trial and error. She just needed a bit of learning. While it had certainly been a hard lesson learned, she'd remember it well.

Seeing her determination, he chittered in mocking amusement.

Lex leveled him with a cold gaze, her eyes blazing in a hurricane of fire and ice, swirling together in a silent inferno of such intensity that it almost gave him pause. Readying herself, she bared her teeth and hissed viciously. "I've faced off against worse than you," she growled provokingly and it set him off like an explosion of dynamite...just as she predicted.

When he lunged at her, she dodged gracefully to the left. Planting the butt of her combistick into the ground, she used the momentum of her body to swing back around and land atop his back. Her heels dug into his shoulders as she bent her knees and jumped away, forcing his face into the dirty floor.

Before her toes even hit the ground, she gave another fluid twist of her lithe body, gathering up enough speed to whirl around for a second attack. As she landed, she crouched low, ensuring her blade had the maximum amount of velocity behind it as her combistick came down with her, slamming it into his left shoulder blade. She purposefully missed his spine, considering she had zero intentions of killing him. No matter how bad she wanted to kick his ass, no insult would ever be punishable by death in her eyes.

Green blood splattered around the fresh wound as she pulled her blade out, readying it for another strike. She had certainly succeeded in pissing him off, for in the next moment she felt him wrap his talons around her calf. It was then that she realized she'd made the mistake of standing far too close. She should have put some distance between them while he was still down.

He gave a tug and she was on her back, while he was already up on his feet. She had to fight hard not to get lost in the shock of the equilibrium shift as she was pulled upsidedown, hanging from his grip. Had she been a different person, she might have been too distracted by the fact that the position was flashing the entire ship her business. But, instead, she used the difficult angle to her advantage and swung her knee around to land a solid blow to his face, right in his temple.

It must have been a tender spot, because he instantly dropped her as he let out a groan of pain.

She rolled back onto her knees just before her face could hit the ground, glad to see there were at least some weak points on these seemingly impervious beasts.

She knew he was a good fighter when they first started this ordeal, but he was clearly underestimating her. It was obvious by the way the fight had played out so far; him making lame grabs at her thinking he'd be rid of her easily, and her parrying his efforts with unexpected rebounds. So, when he reached behind him and pulled out his own combistick, Lex had to hold back her smirk.

She was forcing him to use weapons now, was she?

It was nice incentive knowing he was getting a little more than he had originally bargained for out of this.

Not waiting for him to strike first, she dove straight in for a direct attack, aiming for his gut. He blocked and tried to push her back, but Lex was too smart and too stubborn to give him room. She dodged and swerved and ducked, knowing that as long as she kept the battle as tight as possible, the better her chances were.

She stayed close to his body, practically clinging to him like a second skin in a tactical effort to use his size against him. He may have been fast, but she was faster. Her smaller size made it easier to maneuver around him like a dancer. She had to avoid giving him the chance to grab her or pin her down. She also couldn't block many of his attacks, as the force behind them was too strong for her to withstand. If she fell into his grasp and gave him the opportunity to use his strength on her, all of this would be over in a heartbeat.

She was unpolished and not as graceful as the yautja, but she was hanging on. Her eyes never left the movement of his hands and legs, always watching for an attack and waiting for an opening. She caught every twitch of his muscles, quickly learning that they gave away his next move, telling her where and how he was going to strike. What really gave her an advantage was his style of fighting. She noticed a similarity between the way she'd seen Scar in the middle of battle and the rest of his kind. It was a style all their own. It was nothing as refined and flashy as martial arts. Rather, it was very blunt and brutal and in your face, but still amazingly agile and fluid for creatures of their size and bulk. They were truly the movements of a predator; a beast that seemed to belong more in a jungle hunting down prey, rather than traveling through galaxies on spaceships.

Despite her efforts, Lex was starting to feel the brunt of his attacks. She was wearing down, receiving cut after cut while he'd barely gotten scratched.

"Damn it," she grit her teeth as she ducked another broad swipe of his blade. She was beginning to seriously tire out and, judging by the way he was pushing her harder, she suspected he knew it, too.

_I'm not giving up…I will win…I'm not giving up…I will win…_she chanted over and over inside her mind, her determination unwavering.

When she saw the deadly end of his combistick coming at her from the left, she instinctively went to dodge right. It was a mistake.

Her eyes suddenly widened as she watched his fist coming at her face hard and fast. The next moment, his knuckles were connecting with her cheek, snapping her head to the side with enough force to temporarily black out her vision.

Pain was the first thing she felt, then a wonderful type of blinding numbness that radiated all over her head and neck.

The impact was so forceful, she was sent flying back into the flimsy metal wall of a small, nearby building.

Lex crumpled to the floor and, almost like a delayed reaction, a silent scream erupted from the back of her throat, gradually rising in volume. She shivered and wailed as pain like she'd never known abruptly flooded back into her, spreading clear down her spine and even into her chest. Her head hurt so bad and she reached up to instinctually cover the damage, protecting her weak spot. Her bosom rose and fell in a fast succession of breaths, panting and shaking and trembling like a little wounded bird lying helpless. Her ears were ringing and she couldn't even see out of one eye. Incomprehensible moans left her lips as she rushed to get her bearings. She was beginning to feel panicked. Even through the pain, all she could think about was her adversary. She was left defenseless and it was _terrifying_. He was going to be on top of her soon and she knew it, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Suddenly, another explosion of pain erupted throughout her side, throwing her back into yet another wall. She was left pretty disoriented, but she was fairly certain she was on the ground. As she lay there, blissful numbness graciously overtook her. She didn't know how or why, but she didn't mind. She couldn't feel anything, not even fear...and it was wonderful.

It was in that moment, in that split-second instant in time, that she swore not to lose.

She grasped onto that numbness, accepting it as a gift rather than a burden. She still couldn't see out of one eye, nor could she even hear properly, but none of that mattered. Her body was giving one last ditch push for survival and she intended to utilized this pain-free, fear-free state of mind to its fullest advantage.

Lex got up and scanned the crowd with her one good eye, zeroing in on her target like a hawk. He was coming at her surprisingly fast, his weapon poised to finish her off.

He swiped, she dodged. Her eyes were cold and focused, while he seemed far too intent to put an end to her to bother being surprised by the fact she was still on her feet.

He made a go for her neck and she blocked it with her staff, deflecting his blade away with an elegant twist. Each move became more and more poised, precise, far more deadly than her previous technique. Had she not been locked in the middle of a death match, she would have marveled over how strong she suddenly felt without pain or fear there to block her potential.

He made another lethal strike and Lex bent backwards to evade it. As she did, she noticed a level of pipes above their heads, running between buildings. An idea began to formulate. She knew if she wanted to finish this, she would need to get an advantage on him and the only one she could think of was to get out of his reach; to get the upper ground.

Moving fast while she still had the chance, Lex wound her body away from the swipe of his claws and used his current position to her convenience.

With his balance thrown off from his missed attack, Lex spun around to his back and out of his sight. Displaying all the skill honed into her from years of spelunking and mountain climbing, Lex scaled the side of a small building and scurried into the shadows overhead before he even knew she was gone.

Her foe roared and twisted back around with another attack, expecting her to be there, only to come up short when he was met with empty air.

On her perch, Lex used the steam rising off the pipes to mask her presence, slinking into position like a panther stalking her quarry. Her eyes were glued to her prey, her hind legs dancing in place from the pure anticipation as she waited for the perfect moment.

Just as he turned back to search for her, she pounced.

As she emerged from the haze of steam with a battle cry, onlookers grew eerily silent.

Her body bowed mid-air as she raised her weapon, letting out a savage growl as she drove the wicked blades deep into the flesh of his shoulder. For a short instance, she felt something inside her blossom and bloom with warrior-like pride as she brought down her prey.

With a loud roar, he fell to his back and she went with him, straddling his chest. Lightening quick, Lex pulled Scar's dagger out from under her loincloth and pressed it to his neck as she heaved and panted heavily.

"Yield!" she demanded, baring her teeth viciously.

He was very still at first and Lex pushed the blade further against his throat until tiny trails of green painted his hide, just to remind him she could slit him from ear to ear should she so desire it. It was also an act that forced him to acknowledge the victor.

"I. Said. _Yield_," she whispered darkly, leaning down until she was breathing the words in his face. She truly hoped she wasn't expected to kill him to finish the challenge. All she wanted was some respect, she didn't desire to end someone's life over an insult.

There was great anger in his eyes as he stared up at her, but there was also a grudging respect that hadn't been there before. Slowly, he lowered his eyes and turned his head away, showing his submission.

Still a little cautious, she pulled the dagger away from his neck and stood on unstable legs. The lull in battle had caused some of her numbness to fade, allowing her to feel the rapid pace of her heartbeat, along with an abundance of aches and pains that she hadn't noticed before.

Stepping over him, she grabbed her combistick and planted her foot atop his shoulder, using it as leverage to pull out the deeply imbedded shanks. Her thumb slid over the trigger and he groaned in pain as the blades were retracted from flesh and bone. She didn't intend to be cruel of vindictive, but she would make sure he'd think twice before messing with a human again.

After she clipped her treasured weapon back to her hip and tucked her borrowed dagger into its rightful place against her inner thigh, Lex felt a wave of relief wash over her, as well as a healthy dose of pride. She smiled brightly as she turned, fully expecting to find Scar there on the sidelines watching her proudly, seeking his approval. Instead, she was greeted with the eerie silence of a mob of yautja staring at her in unadulterated disbelief.

Lex slowly deflated, her smile faltering before it faded away completely.

Trying not to show any weakness in front of the crowd, her cold mask naturally fell back into place. Uninterested in being stared at like a freak show, she took a single step forward to leave...and nearly fainted on the spot.

She had gotten several cuts and bruises from the encounter, but it was that last hit he'd landed on the right side of her face that was suddenly catching up to her. Everything was throbbing and she could literally hear her own pulse inside her head. Her lower lip felt swollen and busted and she was still having a hard time seeing out of her right eye, not to mention the ringing in her ear.

Everywhere around her the curious eyes of male yautja raked over her form with unfaltering intrigue, trilling and clicking to one another quietly. They glanced at their companions as if seeking reassurance that they weren't just seeing things, that they weren't the only ones who'd just witnessed the defeat of one of their own by the hands of a tiny human female.

When one of them stepped towards her too fast for her liking, eyeing her up and down like he had a bone to pick, Lex reached for her combistick once more. She was far too over sensitized by the events of the day to trust any suspicious movement from them.

However, another dizzy wave hit her hard, stopping her before she could even tug the weapon from its clip.

She had to get out of here. She needed to get somewhere safe. There was no way she could fight another one, she could barely keep herself from passing out.

This was bad. Everything was spinning and she was right on the verge of a panic attack.

Not a second too late, Wolf was suddenly by her side, seemingly out of thin air. His hand wrapped around her upper arm, just as her knees buckled beneath her. She collapsed into his chest, surprisingly glad for the sense of security that came along with it. It was truly ironic, her nemesis had become her savior.

"Wolf," she whispered exhaustedly, still trying to catch her breath. The heat of his body was unexpectedly welcome, even in the face of the tepid humidity in the air. She was sweating hard and blinking rapidly, trying to clear the blurriness form her vision. Everything between her ears was throbbing, pounding in a hard pulse to match her heartbeat.

She had a feeling if she didn't get it together soon he was going to toss her over his shoulder again and carry her out of there. She didn't want that. She needed to walk away from this. She needed to prove that she wasn't weak.

Lex managed to find that last ounce of strength and pushed away from him, though he didn't let go of her arm. As he started to lead her out of the market, several males stepped forth, apparently indignant that he was shepherding her away before they could take a crack at her.

They were growling and clicking, unwilling to let him pass, but she barely noticed. She could hardly see straight, let alone concentrate on what they were saying.

She gasped as he suddenly jerked her closer to his side and let out an imposing roar. It rattled her insides and echoed off the walls, waking her up. Surprisingly fast, everyone took a step back and moved aside as he dragged her none too gently from the scene. None of them seemed very eager to challenge him over the matter. His hand remained locked around her arm, supporting her as she stumbled along, trying to keep up with his long strides. It wasn't easy, her knees literally felt like jelly and her foot was still sore from that kick she'd unwisely planted in her adversary's gut.

She followed him blindly as he led her up two more levels of the dome, passing stands and small, tin-like buildings along the way. Aliens of all types stared at her as she moved by, making her feel as if she had done something wrong. Steam rose up from vents in the ground, only adding to the fogginess of her vision and the sticky heat clinging to her flesh. Smells assaulted her at every turn, some good, some bad. Certain areas had the distinct scent of food and her stomach rumbled, demanding nourishment after such an energy draining fight. Other places merely smelled terrible, like oil and grease and grime, swiftly causing her hunger to dissipate into nausea.

It was loud, motivating the buzzing in her ear to rise in volume. There was the general sounds of mingling, conversations filling the air with foreign languages that she didn't understand, leaving her feeling alienated and lost. But there was also other sounds, like the clinging and clanking of metal objects, of which she could only guess at their origin.

It wasn't much longer before he veered off into a dark, dingy alleyway that was a bit narrower than the others around the dome. She could hear the dripping of water further back, making it sound dank and damp. A few old crates and cages lined the entrance, presenting a bit of an ominous sight.

Lex twisted her arm free of his grasp and hesitated at the mouth of the alley, eyeing it warily. Just then she realized just how much he was truly supporting her weight, for the moment she pulled away from him she dropped to her knees.

Wolf turned back at her dawdling. A huff of annoyance was hanging on his mandibles when he paused, noticing her plight.

Lex tried to wave him off as he backtracked to her side. "I'm alright," she said, even though she clearly was not. "I don't need help, I'm fine." She attempted to get to her feet and failed, miserably. The next thing she knew, she was in his arms and the old, dilapidated walls of the alley were passing her by. She fought to stay conscious as he took her deeper into the narrow passage, unsure of where he was taking her or if it was even safe.

It seemed to get darker the further back they went. It was definitely a shady looking place. She began to wonder what a yautja like Wolf was doing in a place like this. It was exactly the type of area you'd expect unsavory activities to occur.

When they reached the end of the alley, an old door slid open and Wolf walked in without a second thought.

Lex was able to keep her eyes open long enough to take in the sight of a sizable room that looked suspiciously like a blacksmith's workshop, but much, much more advanced. Technology and wires lined the walls in a slightly disorganized fashion. There were tools and metals and blades of all sorts spread out on workbenches. Overhead, a few dim lights hung from the ceiling, only providing a minimum amount of illumination.

It wasn't exactly the cleanest place, but she suspected it wasn't really meant to be cleanly.

Further into the room, another yautja sat with his back to them, tinkering with some unknown project. It sparked and zapped as he worked, lighting up the dark shop with glowing flickers. Suddenly, his project let out a high-pitched whine, followed by a series of bright electric shocks. The device whizzed and crackled, discharging one last small explosion before it died out in a puff of smoke.

As Wolf walked by, the yautja sighed heavily and threw his tool down, apparently fed up with the troublesome contraption.

With a bark from Wolf, he stopped his work and glanced over his shoulder, finally noticing their presence. Before she could examine him further, her view of him was cut off by a wall as Wolf moved into another room. Her vision started to lose its focus again and the next thing she knew she was laying on a fur covered lounge and Wolf was hovering over her. She could hear some sort of commotion behind him before she blacked out again.

The next time she came around, Wolf had some type of cold compress held to her face and the other yautja was standing beside him, staring down at her as if he didn't know what to make of her. Wolf's large hand was at the back of her neck, his fingers gently probing the base of her skull before moving higher.

Lex couldn't be bothered to care about either of them. All she cared about was the cool feeling of the compress easing away the pain, along with the surprisingly relaxing sensation of Wolf's exploring fingers feeling around her right ear and cheek. She knew he was probably checking for fractures, but that didn't stop her from rolling her head back into his hand, nearly moaning from the relief it brought.

They clicked and talked above her and after a few minutes, she could feel how much the swelling had already gone down. She could finally start to see out of her right eye again, and the ringing was ebbing away as well. She reached up to touch the compress, only to stop short when she realized it wasn't a compress at all. Wolf had spread a thin layer of a gelatinous-like substance across her bruise. It had apparently worked wonders, for she could feel it sinking into her flesh, healing at a remarkably accelerated rate.

It must have been the same gel Scar had used on her. Whatever it was, she was grateful for it. She was also grateful it wasn't the blue stuff, for she knew she'd never be able to tolerate the pain that went along with that particular medical product. She'd seen its effects firsthand on Scar and she wasn't eager to try it out.

As Lex was able to get her bearings, she pushed herself up and glanced around the room, trying to figure out where she was. It seemed to be an extra space set apart from the shop she'd seen when Wolf had first carried her in. The place was small, but not cramped. It smelled strongly of metal and soot and was pretty dark. The furs she was sitting on were old and torn in some places, stained with grease in others.

Lex turned back to Wolf, ignoring the yautja that stood a few short feet behind him. He was crouched next to her, his eyes wandering over the damage on her face. No doubt it was still disgustingly discolored, but she knew it was in far better condition now than it was before.

"You helped me." She swallowed softly, unsure why he'd actually bothered. "Why?"

Wolf didn't get to answer her question. Now that she seemed to be alright, the other party in the room turned to her escort and started demanding answers. Whoever he was, he didn't seem that angry by the disturbance they'd caused, just annoyed. Wolf must've known him. Judging by the way he straightened up and sauntered over to the shorter male, they seemed very familiar.

As they conversed back and forth, she tried to make out the syllables of their language. It was very difficult, though. The few yautja who had spoken to her had always slowed their speech down, removing as many of their clicks and trills as possible. Without that, it was practically impossible for her to pick up on a single word.

Their conversation quickly came to an end when Wolf said something and the yautja abruptly turned, his eyes zoning straight in on the mark burned into her cheek. She met his gaze as he looked from her to Wolf and then back to her again, as if he couldn't believe whatever it was he was he'd just been told.

Wolf scoffed, patting his friend on the arm in dismissal as he moved further into the shop. As he disappeared into the other room, he seemed to be explaining her circumstances, for the further along he got in his speech, the more she recognized the distinct look of disbelief and skepticism growing in the unknown yautja's eyes.

He'd been a little tense before, but thankfully nothing aggressive. Still, she was glad when he started to relax as Wolf continued to divulge her story. She wasn't exactly up for another grueling challenge to prove her worthiness.

When he finally peeled his eyes off of her and vanished into the shop, she followed suit, only slightly wobbly on her feet before she regained her balance.

Lex glanced around the corner of the wall before entering, checking the place out. The heavy scent of carbon in the air, along with the sheer amount of tools laying around, confirmed her suspicions. It must have been some type of a mechanic's shop.

Seeing her hesitation, Wolf motioned her closer. As she stepped forward, he pressed his fist firmly against his friend's chest. "**T'Eallja,**" he said, his voice deep and gravelly. "**T'Eallja,**" he repeated.

"Tee-aahl-ya," Lex echoed with some difficulty, trying to replicate the sound of his name. Both of them snorted, apparently not at all pleased with her effort. She had to hold back her smirk. It wasn't like they ever pronounced her name all that well, either, but she never complained. Either way, she was fairly certain she wasn't saying any of their names properly, anyhow. After all, she highly doubted a pair of intergalactic hunters would just so happen to be named 'Scar' and 'Wolf'. Regardless, it was much easier to stick to syllables she could imitate.

As such, she quietly resigned herself to simply remember him as 'Teal', considering she was likely never going to be capable of vocalizing his name in a manner that he would find acceptable. Although she doubted the connotation of his name meant the same thing in her language, she couldn't help but think it suited him. In the dark hut, parts of his hide almost appeared like a deep, midnight teal color while the lighter skin of his chest, legs and inner arms was a smooth tawny tone. It was the places between, where the softer hues of his belly met the black shading of his back, that his mottling gave off a dark teal-like shine. There was nothing bright or flashy about the hint of color, just like there was nothing bright or flashy about any of the yautja's colorings. Their hides were all neutral in color, like a built in camouflage, perfect for hunting in heavy bush.

Pushing all her thoughts aside, Lex offered a small smile and introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Lex." She took a step closer, noticing in the poor lighting of the room that he appeared to be about the same height as Scar, but with Wolf's build. This close, she could also see a blooded mark upon his forehead. "Thank you for helping me. I'm sorry if we've put you out."

He looked at her skeptically, probably trying to discern if her words were an insult or not.

Ignoring his friend's cynicism, Wolf moved over to a work bench and beckoned Lex closer as he tugged a large pouch off his utility belt.

Her eyes widened as she watched him pull out something long and black and sleek and all too familiar. It was the barbed tip of the Queen's tail.

"Where did you get that?" She instantly stiffened, more than a little surprised to see it. Then again, the yautja were pretty big on keeping trophies from their kills. It really wouldn't shock her to find out they were secretly stashing the Queen's head somewhere, just waiting for the right moment to give her a heart attack with it.

Wolf purred in response and leaned in close to her. He didn't get very far in his advance as T'Eall was suddenly there, up in her face and looking back and forth between her and the tail. Apparently, he'd only just now connected the dots. That, or he'd simply refused to believe Wolf's story until he saw the physical proof. Now, with the large barbed tail laid out before him as irrefutable evidence, he seemed to be having a hard time taking his eyes off her. Hard meat paraphernalia was basically impossible to come by, especially product from hard meat Queens. The only way to attain a _kainde amedha_ trophy was to kill one, and seeing the fruits of her labor in Wolf's hands had apparently made him a believer.

His eyes raked up and down her figure, trilling in appreciation. He moved closer to her and Lex swallowed uncertainly. What the hell was with this guy? She took several steps back, retreating until her shoulders hit a tall workbench. He tilted his head curiously and she frowned when his posture altered slightly. His muscles flexed and for a moment she actually thought he was going to fight her, until he started purring like some lap cat in desperate need of attention. The noise rumbled in his chest as he stood before her, openly inviting her inspection.

Lex stood confused, gripping the edges of the counter. She leaned further and further back until she was practically bent over the bench, unsure if he wanted to fight her or what.

The younger predator received a scathing growl from Wolf for his advances. When he didn't listen, she looked on, completely stunned, as Wolf got up and drove the back of his hand into his friend's chest, effectively pushing him away from her. Undaunted, the former merely shoved him back in response. It was much the same behavior she'd seen between him and Scar on her first day on the ship when she'd tried to escape.

They went back and forth, arguing between themselves. There was a distinct level of tension in the room that felt as if it may snap at any moment, but when T'Eall chuffed and Wolf turned away to straddle a bench again as if nothing had even happened at all, Lex was left more confused than ever.

Given everything she'd seen during her short time with the yautja, she had to wonder just how high these creatures' testosterone levels ran.

They reminded her of a pack of animals, always squabbling and bickering to constantly assert their dominance around each other.

From his seat, Wolf called for her to come closer.

She swallowed a bit nervously, finding it hard to believe all that aggression between them had just magically dissipated so quickly.

When she reached him, she straddled the other side of the bench, sitting face to face directly across from him. Wolf proceeded to drag out a plethora unfamiliar tools, allowing her to pick them up and inspect them as he placed each one on the round table that sat between their legs.

"Lehx make..._dah'Nagara_," he said as he handed her the Queen's tail. "Make wep-onn…Wolf teeech."

Taking the heavy tail, she ran her fingers slowly over the smooth surface. It was shiny and black, reflecting the light of the room beautifully. It was hard to believe such a thing had come off of a terrible monstrosity that had nearly destroyed her life.

However, as she put his words together her eyes lit up with sudden understanding. Lifting her gaze to his, she then realized why he had 'kidnapped' her out of her room in the first place.

"You're going to help me make my own weapon?" she asked, thinking it almost too good to be true. If she was to live with them, she wanted to learn their ways of life. For a blooded warrior to actually volunteer to show her how to make her own weapons…she couldn't believe her luck.

"_Sei-i,_" he said and from what little of their language she had picked up, she knew that meant yes.

Before she could even thank him, he already started going over the basics with her. When he picked up a short tool that looked like nothing she had ever seen before, T'Eall scoffed from beside them, apparently not approving of Wolf's method of teaching or his choice of tools.

He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like an insult, and it promptly earned him another scathing bark from Wolf that seemed to effectively shut him up.

As he resumed their lesson, Lex paid close attention, soaking up as much of the knowledge as she possibly could. Though the language barrier was difficult, she was certain that they would manage somehow or another.

After all, she always had been a fast learner.

.

oOo

.

By the time Scar made it past the loading docks, the clan ship was absolutely buzzing with the scandal of the tiny ooman female.

He had been trying to contain his anger, but it was more difficult than it really should have been. He never had been a yautja with much of temper…until she came along.

She never should have left her room. It wasn't safe. Lex may have received an unusually warm welcome on the cruiser, but he knew she would not be so lucky once they reached the clan ship. Back on Earth, her brave actions as a warrior were witnessed by all. She'd been admired and fawned over for her many kills. Seeing a female, let alone a ooman female, fight and win against a hard meat Queen was utterly unheard of.

She'd gained more suitors than Scar would have preferred.

However, the rest of his clansmen had not bore witness to her feats of bravery and skill. Since the Elder had already sanctioned her acceptance, it had not been necessary to send word of her presence. It would have been properly addressed upon the Elder's return. They did not know that a female of the ooman race had been inducted into their clan. The moment she stepped foot onto that vessel she would be faced with challenge after challenge to prove herself.

Scar had known she was more than capable of fending for herself, but he also knew her skills lacked the refinement and raw strength needed to take on a warrior of his species. Yautja were over three times her size and could easily kill her with a single, well placed strike.

Still, none of this compared to the anger that clouded his mind when he stepped into her room to find her gone…with Wolf's scent lingering in the air. He couldn't explain it, but a seething knot had formed in his gut, flooding his senses like nothing he'd ever known before.

Of course a female like Lex would desire the company of such an accomplished hunter. Wolf was an elite warrior; brave and honorable, with many admirable trophies mounted on his wall. He'd fought for his right to breed many females and won. Lex would have every reason to be interested in him.

But just the thought of it got under his hide in all the wrong ways.

Yautja were not monogamous. They held no loyalty to the opposite sex during coupling. He'd never once cared about who else the females he'd mated were breeding with. Young as he was, he'd been more interested in the act of breeding, rather than actually producing sucklings. Whether or not offspring came of it he really didn't care.

Now, he could feel the thoughts lingering in his head, floating around the peripheral of his mind, just waiting to take him off guard...and it wasn't even rutting season.

Scar was the pride of his clan. For one so young, he'd risen above his age group and accomplished more in his existence than most blooded yautja had in their lifetime. He'd proven himself in his hunts again and again. With his tactical capabilities, his well-honed senses and his knack for keeping a level head, Scar had achieved high honors in record time. He was the youngest hunter of his generation to successfully take down a Terrvartian sandadder: a particularly beastly prey that lacked intellect but made up for it with immense strength and a potent brew of toxic venom. He was also the youngest hunter to ever take part in a _kainde amedha __chiva_.

Hunters spent decades of their lives training for this trial. It was a grueling and painstaking process of preparation and hardships. Some of his kind even forewent the process altogether, opting to simply remain an unblooded hunter for the rest of their existence, though such hunters were usually looked down upon for their choice. Such was the immensity of the task to undertake a _chiva_. Only the most accomplished and brave of his kind was granted the honor of partaking in a hard meat hunt. No other yautja had earned the right to participate in this dangerous ceremony at such a young age, let alone succeed. It was unheard of.

He'd been expected to go far, and indeed, he had. With Lex, both she and Scar had accomplished in one hunt what most elite warriors had been sent to their final rest for. They'd cleansed the an entire hive by hand and blew up the nest to dispose of the eggs. By destroying a full hive along with its Queen, they had succeeded in what elites worked lifetimes to achieve.

They had undergone the ultimate hunt together and arose victorious.

The trial had not been intended for Lex, but _Paya_ had her ways. Perhaps that experience had been as much predestined for her as it was for him. She'd been pulled into a test of her own and had earned her right to stand alongside the best hunters in the galaxy.

He'd achieved all this...and yet the mere idea of a human female being courted by another male made his stomach churn.

It was pathetic.

Scar had only gained his rank in life through an unyielding and dogged will to survive. He hadn't had the advantage of having a sire or dame that had been particularly high in status, and as such he'd been forced to work his entire life to earn his place.

He and his chiva brothers would never have known one another if it were not for the fact that they shared the same dame. They had come from the same womb, but only Celtic and Chopper had been sired by the same male. It was one of the reasons why Chopper had been so obsessed with emulating Celtic. Though, Scar could hardly understand why. Celtic couldn't stand him half the time. His bad temper had only ever allowed room to socialize with Scar, considering his calmer nature. He'd been the only one capable of even talking to his hulking elder brother without setting him off.

All of them, including Scar himself, were about a full twenty years apart in age. They were only three of many in their dame's large brood of offspring.

Males were never involved in the raising of young. Offspring grew up never knowing their fathers. Instead, the dame would rear the sucklings to a certain age before releasing them into the wild to fend for themselves, while she kept the females, teaching them in the ways of raising their own young to be as strong as possible, always sticking together in large family groups. It was there, in the wild, that a male yautja would learn how to survive and fight and live off the land. If one were unable to endure the harshness of the world, then they were considered weak and unworthy of acceptance into their clan. They were effectively culled out of the herd by mother nature herself to ensure only the strongest genes were passed on to future generations.

Due to this process, everything to Scar's name was earned, not handed down to him by some upper clansmen that was an elder or an elite or a matriarch that just so happened to be a relation. No, he'd fought for his status, for his breeding rights, for his honor, for his trophies, for _everything_.

Throughout his entire life, Scar had fought tooth and nail to get to where he was today…and the idea of another yautja muscling in on his territory put a nasty kink in his day.

Especially if that yautja might have put Lex in danger by dragging her out into the clanship before the Elder had the chance to properly introduce her presence and present evidence of her worth.

He felt himself bristling at the very thought of it.

There was something about Lex that just drew males to her like bees to honey. Her scent, her body, her attitude, even the way she carried herself. It was like royalty.

She was unlike any of her species...or his.

Some of his kind believed humans actually had mystical powers. Some said they could read minds, others that they could see the spirit world and speak with the dead, and others said they could actually predict the future. Though these types of silly allegories usually only existed in the minds of overly superstitious yautja, as oomans were well known for their ability to seduce alien races of any kind. Thus, making them seem 'mystical'. They were beautiful and violent, something many space faring races wished to grasp and tame.

They were also near perfect prey for the yautja.

They were not looked upon as dumb animals. Quite the contrary. They were viewed as devious, clever and admirable quarry, a sought after trophy for any hunter to hang upon his wall. For oomans to be considered an unintelligent species, they would likely have never been deemed as suitable prey items in the first place. Animals did not clothe themselves, animals did not have highly complex systems of language and religion, animals did not create weapons of mass destruction, and animals certainly did not possess the ability to leave their own planet and travel into space.

While humans and yautja were capable of procreating successfully – like all other humanoid species throughout galaxies – a yautja was still a yautja. They were predators. They ruthlessly hunted anything and everything that would offer them a good challenge, including their own kind. Excluding the dishonor of killing females, sucklings and unarmed sentient prey, there were no boundaries when it came to the hunt. Being the dominant species in the universe only made it all the more easier, even when all others hated them because of it.

Throughout the cosmos, most of the planets capable of supporting life were more often than not dominated by a humanoid type species. Of all these species, humans proved to be the most deadly and the most beautifully exotic. Next to the _kainde amedha_, they were the choice prey.

Just as well, there were usually only two things that ruled a yautja's life; hunting and fucking. And, sometimes, the two just went hand in hand.

It was likely from these roots that myths and legends of magical humans casting curses and spells and seducing yautja away from their hunts had been birthed. There was even an ancient tale of a human female so beautiful and mesmerizing that she swayed a mighty yautja warrior with nothing but her wiles alone, preventing him from slaying her village. Elders told this tale to many unbloods, cautioning them of humans and their guile and trickery.

Scar could hardly believe a true warrior would ever fall for such subterfuge. To him, it was nothing more than a narrative woven together to prevent young hunters from becoming too distracted by the local 'wildlife'. After all, it wouldn't do to have the yautja gene pool spread halfway throughout the galaxy on planets that it didn't belong...though, Scar half suspected it was a little too late for that.

He had heard of human males swaying yautja females with their bravery; ones who had been accepted into a clan after showing commendable feats of strength and skill. Indeed, it was rare, but it was not unheard of to see a ooman male gain enough respect to not only be admitted into a clan, but also fight and win breeding rights. But even Scar doubted the likelihood of any real yautja warrior falling victim to the deception of a weak human female.

Taking in another deep breath, he tried to get back on track. He'd been following their scent for the past hour now. Being on the clan ship, however, was proving to be problematic as it completely drowned out any scent trails they left behind. Fortunately, with Lex being a human, hers stood out more vibrantly amongst the rest.

It led him to the dome, where everywhere he turned the ship was blathering about '_that tiny lou-dte kale_'.

Scar held back a growl of annoyance.

If Wolf had allowed anything to happen to her…by _Paya_, he didn't care if the _pauker_ was an elite honored warrior or not. He'd skin him alive, rip out his spine and then shove it down his throat.

It had only been an hour and already her presence had clearly stirred up trouble. A large section of the market was obviously trashed from a battle and he could smell her blood in the air.

Reaching the second level, he paused when he caught her scent most prevalently at the face of an old alleyway.

_C'jit_.

His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as he moved down the dank passageway, the worst of scenarios coming to his mind. When he reached the end of the alley, he slammed the door aside before it even had the chance to fully open. Three heads lifted at his entrance and his eyes immediately zeroed in on Lex, feeling instant relief at seeing she was alive.

However, his relief was quickly washed away by the return of that irritating twisting in his gut.

What the _pauk_ was all this?

What was she doing in some dark, dingy back alley room with two strange males?

She sat across from Wolf, the both of them leaning over a set of tools as another yautja he was unfamiliar with bent over her shoulders, his arms wrapped around her to show her how to use a _kainde amedha_ skinning kit.

That inkling of jealousy tried to surface again before he beat it down to the back of his mind.

He growled, deep and low and mean, causing the unknown male to release her hands and take a step back, clearly reading the possessive claim.

"Scar," Lex immediately smiled at his arrival, completely unfazed by the abruptness of his entrance.

Pushing out from between the two males, she eagerly made her way over to him. Wolf and T'Eall rumbled in displeasure at her dismissal, eyeing Scar with blatant annoyance for swaying her attention so easily away from them.

"Look what I've been making." One corner of her lip tugged upwards as she held out a short sword for him to inspect. "Wolf and Teal have been teaching me how to make my own weapons. I'm sure it'll come in handy. That way I won't have to keep borrowing yours."

He didn't understand a single word she spoke and it only added to his growing impatience. He'd tracked her halfway across the ship only to find her shacked up with a couple of males. His upper left mandible lifted with a frustrated snarl…mostly because he had no clue why he should even care.

However, all of his anger flew out the window the moment his eyes landed on the massive bruise painting the entire right side of her face, along with the numerous cuts and scrapes on her body.

He stepped forward, ignoring her shocked gasp as he reached out and gently took her jaw between his fingers. Lifting her face, he studied the painful looking wound closer. It spread completely from her jaw all the way to her temple, swelling the flesh under her eye. It even looked as if it were intending to sneak down and discolor a portion of her neck, likely within the next day or so.

A low growl began to grow in his chest as he realized he'd been right to worry about her. She was a human. She wasn't built like them. Everything about the _pyode amedha_ was frail and breakable.

Shifting his eyes to Wolf, he pinned the hunter with a hard glare.

"_Who did this to her?_" he asked darkly, his eyes promising pain to the one responsible. T'Eall stiffened where he stood, sensing the bloodlust radiating from him.

"It wasn't Wolf's fault," Lex cut in before Wolf could even respond, but Scar only ignored her.

When he stepped forward to demand an answer and Wolf shot to his feet defensively, Lex quickly positioned herself between them, placing her hand on Scar's chest firmly.

"Listen to what I'm trying to tell you," she demanded, her eyes staring up at him with stern insistence. "I'm the one who challenged someone. Nobody made me do anything. It was my fault for not walking away." She bit the inside of her cheek as she said that last bit, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. "I'm sorry if it's caused you trouble. But he insulted me. Isn't that what your people do when forced to defend their honor? Fight? I apologize if I did something wrong…but I'll defend my choice if I have to. I only did what I thought was right."

"_What is she going on about?_" Scar chuffed in agitation, annoyed that he was being held back from a fight.

"_She challenged honorable warrior Zera,_" Wolf said, shocking Scar into utter stillness. "_…and won._"

"_She did what?_" he asked, unable to believe what he'd just heard.

"_You heard me._" Wolf bit back his annoyed trill, irritated by the younger hunter's presence. He'd prefer it if Scar just disappeared so Lex would forget about him. He didn't like the way she hung around him all the time, nor how all of her attention was focused on him the moment he walked in the room. "_She kicked his ass in front of half the clan..._" Wolf tossed the knife he'd been sharpening onto the bench and dropped back into his seat once more, sensing the danger had passed. "_…_after_ spending the entire day with me,_" he added with a challenging and arrogant leer.

Scar's hackles raised in response as a warning snarl slipped past his impressive fangs. It would certainly take more than provoking taunts to goad him into a fight. Though, even Scar had to admit he was right on the edge of a violent explosion.

"_You would've been impressed...if you'd been there to see it,_" he continued to taunt him.

"_Do you even know how much danger you could have put her in?_"

"_Oh, come off it._" Wolf nearly hissed. "_It's better this way, anyways. Even if the Elder gave her a proper introduction she still would have been challenged constantly. At least this way the clan knows to take her seriously. Besides, __I only brought her out here to show her the halth-jei, that way she wouldn't have to continue borrowing your useless weapons. I never expected her to march right up to a blooded hunter and demand retribution when he insulted her honor._" Actually, the little female seemed to have been fighting under the impression she'd needed to defend Scar's honor, as well, but there was no way Wolf was going to give Scar the pleasure of telling him that. She spent enough of her time and thoughts on him as it was already.

Still, he'd never forget witnessing the way she'd fought in the market. Her body, small but lithe, had danced around the hulking warrior like nothing he'd ever seen before. She'd even had several openings for a kill shot, yet she had chosen not to take them - like the instance when she deliberately forced her combistick into his shoulder blade, rather than his spine. The warrior had certainly gotten in more hits on her and he probably could have gone on fighting much longer than her, but in the end she'd prevailed with smarter, more well aimed attacks.

It truly was a real thrill to watch.

Unaffected by Wolf's remarks, Scar took one menacing step forward, only stopping due to Lex's immovable presence. "_Allow harm to befall her again and your head will be decorating my wall...Wohlf,_" he bit the name out with distaste. He held the warrior's mismatched gaze for a second longer before turning and slamming the door open again, nearly knocking it off its tracks in his anger.

"Scar!" Lex called, following after him without thought. Her pretty new weapon she'd been so eager to show him now hung limp in her hand, forgotten. "Scar! What the hell's the matter with you?" She trailed along behind him, having to take two steps for every of his one.

Ignoring her, he emerged from the alley and began making his way back to the ship.

"Will you just slow down so I can talk to you?" Her voice was growing a little tight with aggravation, but she never quite showed it. She was always like that; calm and composed, even when she was clearly pissed. Scar rarely saw her snap in any situation, not even when they had been in the pyramid.

During her time here, he had found her to be agreeable, obedient and practical. She stayed in her room when he told her, followed orders accordingly and was overall very pleasant and levelheaded.

She was also independent, uptight, stubborn and incredibly brave: all the qualities of a desirable female yautja and then some.

He could still remember the shock he'd felt when she'd whipped out one of his weapons from the inside of her thigh and struck the Elder straight across his torso as if it were nothing. Scar couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen a warrior get a good hit in on their Elder. It was clear her abilities were raw and undeveloped. But, if that was her level of ability without experience...he couldn't wait to see what the years would bring as she evolved.

Even so, he could hardly believe what he'd just heard. His little ooman female had challenged a blooded warrior…and won. Going by the gawking stares of those they passed in the dome, he could only assume it was true.

He couldn't help the pride that swelled in his chest. He'd always known she was strong, but even he could not have expected that much from her. A part of him wished he'd been there to see it. She must have been a beautiful sight with her dark skin and even darker eyes, fighting to be considered a fellow warrior amongst his clan mates in the most visceral way possible. But another part of him wanted to pound Wolf's face into dust for even allowing her to be put in such danger.

They weren't called soft meats for nothing.

He should have been more careful with her. She'd fought to prove herself and that was more than admirable, but that battle could have just as easily gone in a different direction and everyone knew it. It was annoying because he never used to care if a warrior lost. After all, if they weren't strong enough, then they held no value in his eyes. Yet, with Lex it was different.

Just the thought of losing her…

He let out a deep, throaty rumble as he tried to ignore that particular thought in the same way he was currently trying to ignore her. Both of which he was having little success with.

"_Scar_," she called with a commanding bite in her tone, provoking him to turn on her with a harsh answering growl.

The sudden movement shocked her, prompting her to take a step back. For a moment she floundered. Her eyes were a little wider and her lips were paused mid-speech, as if she didn't know what to say.

"H-hey," she said a little more softly. She looked confused. "I'm sorry. Whatever I did, just tell me so I know how to fix it." Her placating tone did not go unnoticed and Scar felt his muscles began to relax at the sound.

She thought she'd done something wrong. He let out another deep breath, trying to disregard the extremely foreign sensation of guilt he felt for making her think such a thing. She'd gone and defeated an honored warrior after challenging him…and he hadn't even so much as praised her for her accomplishments.

He glanced down to the dah'Nagara held in her hand. The blade was sleek and as black as midnight, made from the tail of the hard meat Queen she'd slain. It was probably the first weapon she'd ever made and he'd completely overlooked her when she tried to show it to him earlier, her face alight and searching for approval and acknowledgement.

He was acting like an ass.

Lifting his gaze to hers, he saw her staring back at him with that same stoic expression she always wore; calm, poised, serene…beautiful in that frail, alien way. Hoping to absolve his behavior towards her, he did the only he knew how to mollify her. Reaching up, he ran the back of his knuckle over his mark on her cheek, purring softly.

Almost instantaneously, her eyes dilated and fell heavy lidded. A thick, foggy daze came over her features, making her appear lost in the misty realm between sleep and awake. He couldn't help but find amusement in how strongly the vibrations seemed to affect her. She was so small. It only made sense the effects had twice as potent an impact on her.

Encouraged by her reaction, he drew closer as his purr playfully rose in volume. He watched as her pupils dilated further, nearly drowning out the deep brown of her iris. He wasn't expecting this. Nor was he expecting the way she leaned into his touch. Her dark eyes suddenly became glossy and her breaths grew shorter with each increasingly labored inhale. Pressing her cheek further into his hand, she turned her face just enough to catch the tip of his finger with her mouth.

A strange, pitiful sound escaped her throat as the sharp edge of his claw slid across her bottom lip, just shy of slipping inside.

That noise, like the last dying cries of some small helpless animal, caused something to snap inside him. Like a predator striking to finish the kill, he grabbed her neck and pushed her back against the wall.

He held her there, looming over her as he stared down into her eyes with a feverish intensity she didn't even seem to notice through the drone of his purr. His instincts demanded he do something about her, but his brain was caught somewhere between pounce and _pauk_.

However, being so close to her, Scar caught something different lingering in the air around her, something that sweetened her scent. Leaning in, he drug his mandibles over her shoulder and up her neck with a dangerous slowness, taking in the alluring aroma. Without an ounce of resistance, her head rolled to the side, exposing her neck in an open display of submission. His mandibles closed around the slender column, fangs grazing the tender flesh above her jugular. Like a beast ready to bite down and suffocate the prey in its hold, he growled when that smell around her spiked at the stimulation. He recognized it well. It was the scent of a female about to come into heat, mixed in with a healthy dose of arousal.

When the sharp tusks of his mandibles pressed temptingly into her skin, a hard gasp escaped her lips just as a shiver ran through her body.

Scar paused and his purring died out as the sound brought him back to reality for one blessed moment.

What the _pauk_ was he doing?

He was behaving like some brainless animal, pinning her to the wall as if she were his next meal...and she was shivering and shaking and making all those little odd, terrified sounds that was at once driving him mad with desire and giving him pause. It was confusing the hell out of him because he couldn't scent an ounce of fear in the air...only heat. Blistering, agonizing, mind numbing _heat_, stronger than any yautja female could even hope to emit.

Slowly, he unwrapped his mandibles from her neck, realizing now that his brain had cleared that they had completely enveloped the thin column.

This was not a good time for her to be in season. She'd barely been here a week and already she was going into estrus. She would have half the ship in an uproar just from her scent alone, not that her presence hadn't succeeded in doing that well enough already.

Hell, he'd probably already mortified her with his behavior.

If her scent was already this strong in only the first glimpsing moments of it, he didn't even want to think about what she'd smell like in full blown heat.

_Paya_, just the taste of the air around her was causing his cock to swell in response.

Before he could pull away, Lex lifted her hand and brushed a soft finger along one of his lower mandibles.

Scar promptly stilled, loath to admit the rush of excitement he received from her attention. With half-dazed, half-curious eyes, she trailed higher and reached out to touch one of the metal rings scattered throughout his tresses. Her nails, blunt and tipped an odd white color, gently skimmed across the trinket.

When the tips of her fingers slid past it and just barely grazed the smooth surface of one of the fleshy strands of his dreads, a violent shudder of pleasure wracked his body, leaving him scarcely able to catch his hand on the wall as he felt his knees go weak.

What the _hell_ was that? The appendages were always known to be sensitive, but never to such a degree...

Leaning over her, hardly able to keep himself from collapsing atop her, Scar jerked his head to the side with a strangled groan, swinging the tresses out of her reach before her touch tempted him to do something stupid. His chest heaved as he struggled against every instinct in his body, instincts that were screaming at him to mount her where she stood.

But everything was so _different_. It was throwing him off. She was human; small, soft…breakable. She was just standing there receiving his advances without even a single protest to contest his merit as a potential mate; no struggling, no biting or clawing or punching. It was so against everything he knew.

She couldn't even be _pauked_ like a yautja female. _Paya_, he'd likely kill her.

At his reaction, Lex wrenched her hand away as if she'd burnt him. Her eyes were wide and her perfectly composed face revealed a small crack of insecurity.

"I…I'm sorry." She stared up at him with uncertainty, thinking she'd offended him. "I just…I thought…I didn't mean to-" She dropped her gaze to the side, trying to look anywhere but at him. The tentativeness in her voice was such a sharp disparity from her usual confidence that it was difficult to listen to. "…_I'm sorry._"

With that, she slipped out from under his massive shadow and quickly strode away. She evened her pace once she reached a certain distance from him and straightened her back, trying to appear unaffected.

Scar ground his fangs together in frustration. Great. Now she believed she'd angered him again somehow.

Pushing away from the wall, Scar headed straight for the nearest _kehrite_, hoping to blow off some steam. He would have preferred to just leave and go on a long, dangerous hunt; somewhere in a far off galaxy where Lex and her agonizing scent wouldn't bother him. Seeing as how he'd been stupid enough to leave his own ship back on Prime, he was stuck with the _kehrite_ instead.

As long it got her off his mind, he'd make due.

.

o0o

.

Translations:

_kehrite_ – training hall

_pyode amedha_ – soft meat

_dah'Nagara_ – short sword

_c'jit_ – shit

_halth-jei_ – workshop (unofficial)

**Is it just me, or did anyone else question how Scar was able to get successfully facehugged? I mean, first of all, yautja's mouths are like vicious. How is a facehugger going to get passed those mandibles, let alone the teeth? Then there's the fact that I don't believe it could successfully wrap its tail around his neck and 'suffocate' him into unconsciousness. Every yautja I've seen have decorative metal rings around their necks, there's no way a facehugger could squeeze his neck! I know AVP wasn't perfect and all, but come on. And then all those predators just carry him on board the ship? They had masks on, don't tell me they wouldn't have been smart enough to scan him for an infection!**

**Anyways, enough of that. Thank you again to all those who reviewed! I never expected anyone to actually like my little fic. Really, thank you! In the next chapters, we're going to be moving past all the dull and boring monologues that drone on about feelings and culture(yes, even _I've_ had enough of those!) I wouldn't blame you if you skipped it. So, we should be getting into the more interesting stuff. Also, I noticed a lot of errors in the last chapter, so they've been fixed.**


	6. Chapter 6

.

**.: CHAPTER 6 :.**

oOo

.

Elder N'Jord stood near the front of the mother ship's helm, casually going over the navigational log. His heavy armor and cloak had been traded in for more suitable attire, although his elaborate choker and high quality tress rings still allowed him to stand out a level above the rest.

"_You wished to see me?_" Scar's voice prompted him to glance over his shoulder, his hard eyes giving the young hunter a swift once over before turning back to the data entries he was currently examining.

"_I was told you procured a ship to take to the Rahzar galaxy,_" he said calmly. "_Why?_"

"_Must I have a reason?_"

N'Jord held back a sigh. He already had an idea why Scar was trying to escape the clan ship, but he was really hoping he wouldn't be so difficult about it.

The Elder turned to him, abandoning his work to focus fully on Scar. His eyes narrowed and Scar looked away with a silent snarl hanging on his mandibles. He was clearly in a foul mood.

"_I asked you a question, young sain'ja, and you will answer it._" His commanding voice left no room for argument.

Elder N'Jord stood a good foot taller than Scar, though his coloring was a bit lighter. His greying dreads, nearly twice as long as Scar's, betrayed his age by their sheer length and color alone – their ashen hues almost giving off a blue tint when the light hit them just right. N'Jord was well respected amongst his followers, as he had successfully led them through many victorious hunts and battles. He stood at the head of one of the largest clans throughout yautja history. Although there were many individual factions in their society, each with their own set of rules and traditions, there were only five that were as large as theirs.

N'Jord's power was displayed by the size of his clan, the sheer number of his subjects was near unparalleled. It was also broadcasted by the utter magnitude of his ship, which had taken many, many decades to build. It had originally been half the size as it was now when N'Jord had inherited it from his sire, who'd been the former clan Elder. From there, he had taken it and made into the impressive sight it was today. Many planets had been mined for their resources to add onto it, and due to its vast proportions, many alien merchants came here to set up markets.

Scar had never felt the desire to rise to the station of Elder. Though the honors that came with it were vast, it seemed too burdensome. Perhaps one day, with age, he may find interest in such a title, but for now the only thing that called to him was the hunt.

Facing his Elder now, Scar had no desire to disrespect him by intentionally ignoring his questions, but neither did he feel like being forced to remain on the clan ship, which he knew would happen regardless.

When the Elder's stare remained unrelenting, Scar finally caved.

"_I no longer desire to stay on the clan ship. I have lingered long enough as it is._" It was unnatural for a hunter to stay onboard a ship for so long. He was growing restless. Not to mention the plethora of challenges he'd been faced with, particularly after Lex had hit the peak of her heat, which – thankfully – had long since passed. Yautja after yautja had approached him, demanding he fight them for ownership of his 'pet'. He'd gladly accepted their challenges, not only to vent his frustrations, but also to put them in their place for daring to assume Lex was anything less than their equal. It was an insult to her, and the few who'd been dumb enough to infer that Lex was his property had quickly learned that she was anything but. She was not his slave, his pet or his female. She was their equal and they'd do well to remember it. "_The ship I secured will be ready within the hour. I've already made arrangements to leave for the hunting grounds of Tokka 6 and should only be gone for a handful of cycles."_

"_You will not. I have canceled your reservation. You are no longer permitted to leave the ship until I sanction it._" His tone was not reprimanding, but it did hold its usual air of finality. Scar wisely kept his mouth shut, though it was plain to see in his eyes that he wanted to protest. "_With Lehx aboard, you have a responsibility to stay by her side until she has been thoroughly versed in the ways of our clan._"

"_I am not her babysitter. And she is no suckling in need of tending,_" Scar objected sharply.

"_You were the one who suggested she stay!_" The Elder's booming voice abruptly silenced him and Scar held back a frustrated growl. "_Why do you not wish travel with your clan back to Yaut? A ceremony has been arranged by the females to be held in your honor, a celebration of your victory in passing your chiva. It would be disrespectful to purposefully flout their reception._"

"_I am uninterested in useless celebrations._"

"_Is that why you intended to leave? Because of a 'useless celebration'__?_"

"_Of course not._"

"_Then **why**?!_" N'Jord's patience was running thin. He leveled him with a firm stare, but Scar remained stubbornly tightlipped. Seeing that he wasn't going to answer, N'Jord started to turn back to his work. "_You will remain with the clan until we reach Prime. Until then, you will make sure that Lehx has been properly acclimated. Someone needs to teach her our ways._"

"_I am **not** going to train her,_" Scar protested vehemently. "_If she wishes to be a warrior, that is a path she must take alone._"

"_You will teach her our ways!_" the Elder repeated sternly. "_She is clearly having difficulties communicating with others. Her ability to speak our language is limited at best. If you are unwilling then I shall have Wohlf take your place as her guide._"

Scar bit back a hiss. N'Jord knew exactly what he was doing by bringing Wolf into this.

"_Yes, Elder,_" he finally ceded.

N'Jord nodded, satisfied.

"_Good. You are free to go about your day,_" he dismissed. "_I will summon you later to be debriefed before the clan hunt._"

"_Clan hunt?_" Scar's brow furrowed. He hadn't heard any news of a clan hunt.

"_Our sensors have detected hard meat activity on a nearby planet,_" N'Jord explained as he strode up to a console and activated a holographic image of said planet. "_A scout has just returned with word that a Queen has taken up nest there. However, there have been no signs of drones or eggs. It is believed she has gone sterile, quite possibly due to her advanced age or even cannibalization of her own offspring._"

Scar approached the flickering projection, studying the slowly rotating planet before him. A list of composed stats were displayed next to it, logging the oxygen levels, gravitational force and native plant and animal life, along with other general records regarding the planet's history.

"_If I am to join, w__hy was I not informed of this sooner?_"

"_The issue has only just come to my attention within the last several hours. Since I have just returned from overseeing your chiva, I currently do not have the time to deal with the matter personally. I'm leaving it to the clan._" N'Jord hit a few buttons on the console to zoom in on the region of the planet where the Queen was currently nesting. "_Now that you are blooded, you will be expected to participate in the hunt._"

"_And what of Lehx?_"

"_She cannot be permitted to go. Her brothers have not yet accepted her fully. To go on a such a dangerous hunt with clan mates that show her no trust would be too hazardous. Neither can she properly communicate, she must be left behind._"

That was another thing Scar would like to disagree with. Lex was an excellent hunting partner, the best he'd ever had. She'd fought alongside him in the pyramid back on Earth and they had been even less capable of communication then than they were now. Still, the Elder had made his decision and he knew better than to contest it.

"_Wohlf will lead the hunt and will ensure her skull is taken as clan property. Is this clear?_"

"_Sei-i._"

"_Then you are dismissed._"

Scar left the helm in an even worse mood than he was before. He had a feeling Lex would be unhappy about being excluded. She would probably assume she was being looked down upon. Just so long as he could keep her from finding out, perhaps it wouldn't be too bad...

.

o0o

.

"You're going on a hunt, aren't you?" Lex followed Scar around his quarters, watching as he equipped himself with his usual weapons; wrist blades, shuriken, combistick. He'd already taken the time to outfit himself in the same armor she'd seen him wear when they'd first met. The heavy layers of metal plating had her connecting the dots pretty fast. After all, she doubted he needed such extensive protection from just any regular prey.

He was going after hard meats and she knew it.

About an hour ago, she'd felt the ground rumble under her feet as the cruiser left port. They'd taken off somewhere without a single hint telling her what was happening. Scar had been trying to coax her out of the cruiser and into the mother ship all day, though she hadn't been able to understand why. Now, she could see what he'd been trying to do: he'd intended to draw her out so she would be left behind with the clan.

Too bad for him, it didn't work.

Scar merely grunted in acknowledgement to her question. Frustratingly enough, he rarely understood her words, but 'hunt' was one of the few he seemed to recognize well.

"Aren't you going to take me with you?" she asked, completely not understanding why he wouldn't.

Seeing that he wasn't grasping a single word that left her mouth, Lex bit the inside of her cheek and forced herself to remember their very evident language barrier.

After the incident between them on the clan ship last month, her pride had taken a bit of hit. She wasn't exactly sure what the hell had happened between them, but she did know she never should have reached out to him like that. She never should have touched him. It was foolish of her to even assume his actions had been advances. It was even more foolish of her to have felt thrilled by the possibility that he'd been interested in her in a way that went beyond just being a comrade.

Later, she had tried to properly apologize and explain that it had all been a simple misunderstanding, but he'd just stood there, tilting his head and looking as clueless as the day he was born, not understanding a damn thing she said.

It was difficult, but she was a human amongst an alien race. Certainly even he would see that there was going to be some culture clash. Besides, it wasn't like he was totally innocent in all this. He was the one who'd pushed her up against the wall and clamped down on her throat like a lion about to bring down his prey. His own actions could have just as easily been misconstrued.

She knew she wasn't likely to be an attractive specimen to his species, especially considering how much weaker she was compared to their strength. Lex knew she could never measure up in that area, and that was fine. She was who she was, and that was that. But, just because she wasn't as strong as them, that didn't mean she was going to sit around in this spacecraft for the rest of her life. She'd come along for the purpose of hunting those monstrosities into extinction. She refused to stay behind.

Rushing around to his front, Lex stopped him in his tracks, making sure she had his full attention.

"Take me with you," she began. "_Hunt_…I want to hunt."

She wasn't sure if he simply wasn't grasping what she was trying to say, or if he was deliberately ignoring her. Lex wracked her brain, searching for a suitable enough method to communicate her wishes. Wolf had taught her a few words during her stay here, plus she remembered what Sebastian had been able to translate during his examination of the pyramid's hieroglyphics.

It was worth a shot.

"Um…k-kai – inyei…ami…yei-a," she said in terribly broken yautja. Afterwards, Lex patted her chest and began coughing like an asthmatic, as the deep, guttural grunts she had attempted to replicate with her speech were quite painful. Clearing her throat, she quickly tried again. "Kiv...kv'var kiande ami...dha." She strained a bit, but this time, her pronunciation was a little better.

When he snorted in amusement at her utter butchering of the language, Lex frowned and suddenly took an aggressive step forward, putting herself directly in his personal space.

"_Kv'var-de,_" she stated firmly. Her face was the picture of seriousness, despite the fact that she nearly had to tilt her head all the way back just to meet his gaze. His size didn't deter her in the least, and she continued to glare into the glossy, emotionless visor of his mask. "I'm a hunter, too, Scar."

Even though he was impressed by her determination, Scar could not allow her to come along. The Elder had made his decision clear and he could not go against it.

"_H'ko,_" he said, dismissing her efforts to sway him. "Lehx…staay."

"No. I'm not some dog!"

Scar shook his head. "Lehx...not pet."

"Then stop treating me like one."

Turning away from her, Scar grabbed an extra shuriken, strapped it to his belt and made for the door. If he had his way, she would come with him. There was nothing he would enjoy more than to undertake another hunt with Lex by his side. However, as things were now, he was left to take the brunt of her displeasure, considering he had no way of communicating to her that the Elder did not believe she was ready. To be more precise, she was not ready to hunt with the clan. She could not speak their language and she did not yet fully understand the ways of their society. It was clear she was strong, but to just randomly throw a human into a pack hunt out of the blue was downright unwise.

It was the final hunt before their return to Yautja Prime. A clan hunt. A show of their power. Together they would conquer a Queen and present her skull as a gift to the temple of their goddess, Paya, where it would decorate the walls of the sanctuary, forever a show of the clan's great strength and fortitude. After returning from a successful _chiva_, the tradition was nothing but a bunch of ceremonial pomp and circumstance that Scar had absolutely no interest in it outside of the hunt. With this Queen suspected to be sterile, she had been chosen as their target. Otherwise, she likely would have been captured alive and kept to produce eggs for future hunts.

As Scar made his way out the door and through the halls, he could hear Lex trailing behind him. He began to wonder if he should have just locked her in his room. Although he respected her too much to do such a thing, it didn't mean he wasn't tempted to do it.

"You're not leaving me behind, Scar," Lex said with finality, knowing that even though they didn't speak the same lingo, he knew exactly what she was going on about. "I'm coming with you."

As they neared the back of the ship, he saw the hunting party gathered at the loading bay going over charts and maps of the planet they were to be landing on. At the sight of Lex, several of the warriors turned to glance at her with both curiosity and skepticism.

Off to the right, Lex noticed a large monitor flickering with a soft red tint. On the screen was a diagram of a planet that was foreign to her. It graphed out jungles and oceans with amazingly precise accuracy…and on the left hand side of the screen was a digital representation of the alien creatures that had plagued her during her time in the pyramid.

Her suspicions had been correct.

She felt both a mixture of adrenaline and fear at the thought. The adrenaline came from the chance to hunt them, but the fear came from the concern for Scar's safety.

"You're going after hard meats, aren't you?" she said to Scar's back.

He merely gave her one last cautionary look over his shoulder before turning away to join the hunting party.

"I'm not staying. I'm going with you!" she said with finality as she reached out and grabbed his arm. A strange sense of déjà vu came over her. It was just like her first attempt to follow him back in Antarctica all over again.

And just like that time, he rounded on her with a heated warning growl, causing his tresses to swing in a wide arc. Lex took a hasty step back, refusing to acknowledge the stares of the other hunters watching their exchange. Regardless, no matter how much poise and self-confidence she had, it was still humiliating.

Scar lifted his arm, stiffly gesturing for her to leave with quiet growl, as if he'd lowered its tone only for her to hear...like a parent scolding their child...or _pet_.

Glancing one last time to the map on the screen, Lex quickly memorized as much of it as she could before she turned and strode away, silently seething. All this time, she'd thought he was the one hunter on this ship that saw her as an equal. She had thought she'd already gained his respect by hunting alongside him back on Earth.

Well, if he was too stubborn to see, then she'd just have to show him.

She would _not_ be looked down upon.

Scar stared after her for only a second longer to make sure she didn't come back before he finally joined the group, pointedly ignoring their mocking insults, until one of them went too far...

"_You should keep your pet on a leash, Skahr._" The insolent slander came from a yautja much older than Scar. "_Better yet, perhaps you should learn to properly tame her…I'm sure I could do a fine job of breaking her in...if you want someone to take her off your hands-_"

He'd barely gotten the last word from his mouth when Scar had him up against the wall, wristblades drawn and pressed to his throat. "_Insult her again and it is you who I will be training to keep your mandibles shut...better yet, perhaps I shall have you screaming for mercy as I cut your tongue out to use as bait for the hard meats._" He pressed the blades closer to his neck for emphasis, causing green blood to slowly run down the razor sharp edges.

With a hiss of fury, the older predator finally lowered his eyes and turned away, unwilling to engage in a fight so close their hunt.

Pushing off his chest, Scar turned away, slinging the blood from his wrist blades before retracting them back into their sheaths. As the rest of the hunters gathered, they continued to go over their campaign for the day, wisely keeping their mouths shut about the anomaly that was the tiny ooman female turning their clan on its head.

.

oOo

.

Lex rushed through the entrance of her quarters, nearly running into the door in her hurry.

If he wanted an obedient, meek little human pet, he had another thing coming.

That wasn't why she had come with him. She hadn't left Earth to play it safe. She wanted show him she was capable, too, no matter that she was a human.

Going straight for the weapons bin, Lex grit her teeth just to contain her anger – anger that was surprisingly directed mostly at herself. Since when had she been so set to prove her worth to another person, let alone a man?

_That's not what this is about_, she kept telling herself.

She wasn't doing this to prove anything to anyone. She was doing this to be rid of the nuisance that was the xenomorph alien.

Flashes of inky black carapaces slithering through the shadows of the pyramid came to mind. Weyland's sacrifice, shooting Sebastian, those two Miller boys who'd been left fatherless…all of it haunted the corners of her dreams. She refused to let the aliens win. They were a black plague that needed exterminating. Perhaps that had been her destiny all along, her purpose.

Pulling out her combistick, Lex wrapped her fingers around the Pepsi Cola bottle cap she had strapped next to the tooth that hung from shaft of the weapon. Along with some scraps of clothing and her boots, it was one of the few belongings she had left that didn't get ruined or lost in her fight with the Queen.

Technically, it had been Sebastian's. He'd never really given it to her, but she could still remember the feeling of reaching out for him, her fingers grasping around it in a desperate bid to keep him from being dragged off by one of the aliens, while she herself was barely hanging on to the edge of a cliff. Even as he was being carried away, he'd been trying to save her...

Lex turned the cheap piece of tin in her palm until it sat label-up.

If she could somehow prevent others from suffering the same fate that had befallen her team mates, then she might feel as if she had done something right, something to protect those who could not protect themselves. It would right her wrongs and rectify her failures. The team that had depended on her, the people that had died when she was meant to keep them safe…she wanted to honor their memories. Perhaps she could find peace and forgiveness on this path.

Using a thick strip of braided leather she'd made, Lex strapped the short sword that Wolf had helped her make to her back. He'd already helped her make a sheath for it, maybe if she made it back from this trip alive, then he could show her how to make a holster for it, as well.

Her dah'Nagara was a simple weapon, but beautiful in its uncomplicated design. It was black and sleek like the hide of the xenomorphs, and curved at the same angle of the Queen's tail with a silver handle, perfectly fitted to her palm. Though she was far from an expert, she was certain it would come in handy against the blood of other aliens.

She didn't have many things she treasured, but the few items she did own each meant something to her. She had gained them through respect and hard work. A staff granted to her by an Elder; a short sword made from the tail of the Queen she'd slain, fashioned under the tutelage of an unlikely friend; an old bottle cap once owned by a man she'd been forced to shoot; and an alien's skull to use as shield, cut from the body of her first xenomorph kill by Scar's own blade – these were the things that had come to have meaning in her life.

It was a little ironic, considering she never used to be a violent person, and she supposed she still wasn't, in a way. She'd never put much stock in weapons. She knew they had their uses, but they held no value in her hands. At least, not until recently. Now, she could relate to the connection some hunters had with their guns and knives.

Double checking that everything was in place, Lex made her way over to one of the cubbies in the wall. It slid open under her touch, revealing a stack of loincloths and breast coverings. Under the furs sat her old human clothes, torn and ripped to shreds from the medics who'd cut them from her unconscious body. She hadn't quite been able to throw them away and now she was glad that she decided to keep them. Reaching to the very back, she pulled out her thermal hiking boots.

There was no way she could step barefoot on some alien planet. Though they were meant for extremely cold climates…and they didn't exactly look all that stunning with her ensemble, she needed them if she wanted to go on this hunt and actually be worth a damn.

As one last precaution Lex raided the stash of weapons hanging in her room, searching for anything that might give her a better chance of returning alive. She easily pushed aside her reservations about the possibility of the armaments belonging to a dead yautja and comforted herself in the knowledge that if they did belong to a dead hunter, she was sure he'd rather they get put to good use instead of just leaving them to rot on the walls.

Noticing a spool of wire tucked in a cubby, she reached out to investigate, only to pull back sharply when it cut into the pad of her finger after barely even touching it. There wasn't an opportunity to study it further, for when she suddenly felt the ship begin to shake and rumble all around her, Lex realized they were landing.

She cursed under her breath.

Moving in double time, she grabbed a leather utility belt and tied it around her waist. She had to wrap it around her body several times, and even over her shoulder, just to get it to fit her properly. Without a second thought, she blindly started tucking knives and other paraphernalia into its pockets, including the spool she'd just cut her finger on. She didn't even get the chance to fill all its pouches before she was out the door.

Lex strode down the halls of the ship with renewed purpose. Her eyes did a once over of her body as she walked, making sure her bandages were tight enough not to unravel, double checking she had all her weapons and shield, ensuring her laces were still tucked into the ankle of her boots.

Before she reached the docking bay, she stopped at the end of the corridor and peeked around the corner. Once she was certain there were no predators in sight, she snuck out from behind the wall. They were already gone, thankfully. The less she had to deal with Scar, the better.

The hydraulic ramp was left open, allowing bright sunlight to filter into the ship. With such high humidity, the tepid atmosphere inside the cruiser mixed with the outer air, causing a thick smog to hover over the floor. Pulling her combistick from her hip, Lex held it at her side as she slowly and cautiously made her way down the access ramp.

She had to shield her eyes from the intensity of the sun that hit her. Assessing her surroundings, she was surprised to see an environment not unlike Earth; beautiful dense forests, plants, sounds of a distant stream. Though some of the features and coloring of the local foliage was indisputably alien and different from what she was used to, the similarities were there, nonetheless. Overhead, the sky was cloudless and tinted with a dark purple hue that seemed to hover on the horizon.

The atmosphere was a little denser and the gravity felt as though it were heavier, but it was not unbearable. Looking up, however, revealed a view so striking it nearly took her breath away. Two moons hung low in the sky, floating there like some figment of her imagination.

It was certainly breathtaking, but she didn't have time to dawdle.

Turning away from the scenery, Lex glanced back to where she had just come. The ship wasn't cloaked, so obviously they weren't concerned about anyone finding it.

Hardening her eyes, she dropped her attention to the ground, easily picking up on the tracks the group had left behind. The footprints indicated they went left, deep into the dense jungle. She replayed the picture of the map she'd memorized back in the ship, knowing that once she entered the forest, their tracks would disappear like ghosts.

Chances were that if anything happened, she wouldn't be able to find her way back unless she made sure to leave behind a trail. Even then, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't just leave her behind if they happened to get back before her. Lex considered herself a fairly decent survivalist, but even she knew her chances were slim if she got stranded on an alien planet.

With that in mind, she slipped into the jungle, making sure to leave behind broken branches and x's on tree trunks to mark her path. She kept a close eye on her surroundings, always looking behind her to ensure she familiarized herself with her escape route in the event that a hasty exit was needed. After all, trails never looked the same going out as they did going in. She committed landmarks to memory, trying to absorb as much of the environment as possible to prevent disorientation. The last thing she needed was to get lost in an alien jungle.

She had spent a good half hour slipping through underbrush and following the map she had memorized in her head when she finally came upon a wide creek. She remembered seeing it on the map, indicating she was heading in the right direction. Sticking to the rocks, Lex crossed the water and crouched low on the other side, examining the mud for tracks. She'd been trying to remain fairly stealthy during her long trek, but knowing her intended destination was close at hand, she had to be extra cautious not to alert either the predators or the aliens to her presence.

She knew the likelihood of succeeding with the former was incredibly slim, considering their masks had heat vision, IR and night vision…among other things. Lex's lips quirked into a frown. Sounded like an unfair advantage over prey to her.

With all her outdoor experience, she found that she was able to move with a reasonable degree of stealth, easing in and out of the brush of the forest. In the end, it was her boots that made the most noise. Despite the troublesome crunching of leaves and twigs under her soles, she really wasn't eager to go traipsing around alien terrain barefoot.

The boots were staying.

It wasn't long before she reached a clearing in the undergrowth. About twenty feet ahead of her, the foliage of the jungle abruptly ended, opening up into a large glade.

At the far end of that glade sat a massive wall of stone and rock, covered in vines and moss. It rose up into the sky, seeming to reach for the heavens themselves. And at the base of the structure was the mouth of a cave, large and yawning and cavernous.

Quietly, Lex trekked to the edge of the clearing, never letting her guard down. She knelt down to examine the dirt underfoot, noticing the many tracks surrounding the area. Stamped into the ground were four-toed prints, each tipped with clawed indentations that vaguely resembled dinosaur tracks. What really caught her attention, though, was the fact that all the tracks seemed very old and faded.

There were no fresh tracks that she could see other than...

Her eyes widened at the sight of a set of xenomorph prints that seemed to span three times the size of her head.

Lex quickly scanned the entirety of the area. Ever since she'd set foot on this planet, she hadn't heard a single bird or animal. It was eerily and unnaturally quiet. There was the off chance this planet simply didn't support life, but even she doubted that. It was far too lush for something not to have evolved. Plus, the xenomorphs would have been incapable of reproducing without some type of prey to host their hatchlings.

She wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the aliens already wiped out the entire population of life in the vicinity. They seemed like the type of species capable of doing such a thing. Chances were they'd done burnt out their food supply, leaving the Queen to hunt and cannibalize her own offspring.

Indeed, there wasn't a single thing about these creatures she didn't despise.

Straightening back up, she let her eyes do another preliminary sweep of the trees along the perimeter. The distinct chill that was running up the back of her neck told her the yautja were already here.

Turning away, Lex ignored their presence.

She had work to do.

.

oOo

.

Crouched on a wide branch in the canopy, Scar was keeping a low profile waiting for the Queen to emerge from her cave when the limb shook under his feet, announcing Wolf's arrival as he landed next to him.

"_Is there a reason you're breaking formation?_" Scar asked offhandedly, not even bothering to take his eyes off their target.

"_Lehx is here._"

"_What?_" He snapped his head around to glare at the elite warrior, his dreads swinging with the motion.

"_It's true, we just picked up her heat signature to the east of the tree line,_" another hunter said as he swung down from the branches, landing quietly on a stem several feet above them. Scar recognized him as the blooded warrior he'd seen in the _halth-jei_ with Lex, T'Eallja. He knew very little about him, other than he was a good hunter. He'd have to be for Wolf to socialize with him...considering Wolf _didn't_ socialize...with anybody.

Before another word could be spoken, Wolf's claim was confirmed when the breeze picked up, allowing Scar to catch a whiff of her familiar scent. Not a second later, her small figure emerged from the trees on the other side of the clearing.

One by one, low, angered growls spread through the hunting party as they all took notice of her.

Scar cursed under his breath.

He knew he should have just locked her in his room. Had he not been furious enough to snap someone's neck he would have commended her on her ability to approach the area without alerting anyone to her presence.

"_You need to get her to return to the ship. It's dangerous here,_" Wolf said, keeping his tone low. As his mismatched eyes roved over her, he couldn't help but notice she didn't even have on the proper gear...rather, she hardly had on _any_ gear. Hell, all he could see was a combistick, a sword and a few paltry knives strapped onto her by an oversized utility belt.

She looked ridiculous.

"_How did she even find this place?_" T'Eall voiced the question on all their minds.

"_She probably saw the map in the loading dock and memorized it._" Scar felt his mandibles tightening in frustration.

"_How is that possible? She was only in there for two seconds._"

Ignoring T'Eall's inquiry, Scar jumped soundlessly down to the jungle floor and headed for the clearing, intending to stop her. He didn't make it two steps before one of the members of the hunting party jumped down from his perch, stopping Scar in his tracks.

"_Leave her,_" he said with an annoyed hiss. "_I will not allow you to compromise our position._" With all the arrogance of a young blood, the predator shoved his hand into Scar's chest, ordering him to return to his post. "_Let her act as bait for the hard meat, at least then she may prove useful._"

With his temper already in dire straits, Scar looked down to the hand pressed against his chest before slowly raising his eyes back to the hunter's cold metal mask. He gave one last warning growl, and when the idiot didn't seem to get the message, he reached up and dug his claws into the arrogant male's wrist. Giving it a hard twist, he had the hunter on his knees hissing in pain.

"_Perhaps it is you that should be used as bait,_" he clicked slowly, disgusted with how easily the blooded hunter had been brought to his knees.

Pushing the unworthy insect away, Scar turned back to continue on his path. He nearly stopped short when he saw Wolf was already on the ground and a few paces ahead of him, moving toward her. Biting back a snarl of distaste for the elite warrior, he followed suit.

As they walked, a quiet warning trill sounded from a branch overhead, halting them before they could reach her. Fed up with the distractions, they both turned to permanently silence whoever it was this time that intended to protest their interference. However, they were stunned to find the Elder standing over them, staring out into the clearing and watching the young ooman female's every move with interest.

"_Leave her be,_" he stated, his words short but commanding. "_You are not to interfere._"

Wolf and Scar glanced at each other, a silent question hanging in the air.

"_Elder, you told me you were unavailable for this hunt._" Scar watched him skeptically. "_Why are you here?_"

"_I wanted to see what she would do,_" was all he supplied.

Then it hit Scar.

"_You set her up._" Bristling slightly, Scar stepped towards the tree the Elder was in, glaring up at him where he stood on his perch. N'Jord never bothered to take his eyes off of Lex, completely ignoring the seething young hunter below his feet. "_You deliberately forbade her from hunting to put her in this position._"

"_Silence,_" N'Jord commanded and Scar reluctantly obeyed.

"_Elder, I must ask what your intentions __are._" Wolf stepped forward, as well, eyeing his leader with a level of scrutiny.

N'Jord's upper mandible lifted in a smirk. "_You are worried? For a ooman?_ _It is unlike you to show such concern, Wohlf...even for your own kin,_" he trilled in amusement and Wolf promptly snarled at him in distaste.

"_Desiring to know your intentions and fretting over a female are two different things,_" he replied, almost dangerously quiet. "_Clearly you have misconstrued my meaning."_

"_Your misconstrued meanings do not hold my interest, not like this ooman does,_" the Elder said, equally serious.

"_Is that why you tracked her here?"_

"_My intentions are none of your business. __But since neither of you will settle down until I explain myself, I will tell you. I mean her no harm. I merely wish see her potential._"

"_Potential?_" Scar echoed. "_You have seen her potential well enough back on Earth. She is a fine hunter._"

"_H'ko__!_" N'Jord's firm voice instantly silenced the younger males. "_That was not hunting. That was surviving. But **this-**_" His eyes gestured to the female across the clearing where she was currently climbing up the jagged face of the rocky cliff with an impressive amount of skill. "_**This **is hunting. If she is to be among us, I desire to know what she is truly capable of, to see if she has not only the strength to survive, but the will to hunt._" N'Jord also knew that if she was half as brave as he knew her to be, then having the better part of the clan's blooded members there to witness her abilities firsthand would be beneficial in getting them to accept her.

Scar was tempted to go to her anyways, but when the Elder's growl reached their ears, wordlessly instructing them back into their positions, they had no choice but to obey.

Still, they both hesitated, prompting N'Jord to offer one last breath of advice to settle their concerns.

"_If she is as strong as I suspect she is...she will be fine. Ease your hearts and minds, my young brothers. Paya is with this one._"

Casting one last glance over his shoulder, Scar's head tilted as he watched her move, scaling the wall with amazing dexterity. She was fast and graceful, easily clinging to areas even a yautja would have difficulty traversing. In the glaring sunlight, her small form glistened with sweat, highlighting the slight muscle tone of her body and making her ebony skin appear as if it were golden and shimmering.

She navigated the rocks swiftly and, before long, she made it to the top of the cave's mouth where a stone outcrop jutted out above the opening. His eyes narrowed, watching as she sat atop the lip of the cave and proceeded to pull out what looked like cutting wire from a pouch on a utility belt that had been wrapped around her tiny upper body so many times it no longer even resembled a belt.

Scar was experienced enough to know what she was doing.

She was setting up a trap…

He purred in appreciation as he watched her work, and from beside him an intrigued trill also erupted from behind Wolf's mask.

He wasn't going to deny it. He was eager to see what she had to offer. He wanted to watch her hunt.

His feet almost started to move of their own accord to go after her.

When a hushed bark from the Elder forced his attention away, Scar clenched his fist at his side. He was wary about leaving her to the hard meats, he knew she still had nightmares about them at night. For her to go in there alone didn't feel right, she didn't even have any armor on, for _Paya's_ sake. He should've been in there with her. Hell, he _wanted_ to be in there with her, but the word of the Elder was not something he could easily go against.

Finally, he and Wolf returned to their posts in the trees, waiting for the chance to hunt...and even protect if necessary.

.

oOo

.

Lex squinted her eyes against the harsh sun as she quickly began to unravel the wire from its spool, careful not to cut herself.

One wrong touch and it would probably slice through flesh, bones…entire limbs.

Satisfied that she had enough pulled out, she secured a knot to the face of the ledge she sat upon, using the spool itself to protect her fingers. Once it was in place, she used one of the knives she brought to cut the string. After double checking that it was long enough to touch the ground, Lex began the treacherous climb down.

The rocks were covered in moss and vines, making it difficult it get a decent hold at times. She made the best of it, however, willing herself to surmount the arduous track down the slippery wall.

Before long, she reached the bottom and quickly got to work unraveling the rest of the line. It was a particularly nasty weapon once she really thought about it. It was sharp and lethal and she was glad she'd made the last second decision to bring it along.

Concentrating back on her task, she stretched the rest of the line across the base of the cave, making sure to keep it about three feet from the ground. Lex fastened each end to the jagged rocks of the cave's mouth and then proceeded to tie the line she'd dropped from the overhang to the wire stretched across the bottom – which was particularly difficult without anything to protect her hands. In the end, she had to cut off a few pieces of leather from her belt to help buffer her fingers.

As soon as she was finished with the last knot, Lex took a step back to observe her work.

Her trap was set.

It was crude and probably wasn't the most ingenious snare ever made, but it was suitable.

As a test, she collected a leaf from underfoot and gently dropped it over the wire. Her eyes remained cold as she watched it slice straight through the petal with frightening ease.

Indeed...it was suitable.

Straightening back up, Lex stood at the mouth of the cave, staring into the darkness and asking herself if this was really what she wanted – if she really had the strength to face that darkness again. She didn't think anybody would ever be truly qualified or prepared for something this, not unless you were a yautja and did this kind of shit for sport.

Thinking back, Lex remembered the feeling she'd gotten when she survived the pyramid…all the times she drove her spear through a xenomorph's heart, the victorious feeling of defeating the Queen, the utter sense of power she had when she had challenged that yautja…and won. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before and, despite the violence of it, it felt _right_. So long as she never fought simply for the sake of bloodshed, she could believe there was some justification to her actions.

Now, facing that darkness again, Lex felt it pulling her in.

Yes, she was certain she was ready. No matter what may happen.

She took a moment to tightly fasten the skull shield to her arm, and then got on her hands and knees and crawled under the wire, being extra vigilant not to get cut. When she emerged on the other side, she stepped willingly into the darkness. Immediately, she could feel the change in temperature. The shelter from the sun was nice, but she knew what awaited her in the depths of the cave was anything but.

She stalked forward.

Around her, the sounds of dripping water kept her on high alert. Every little noise drew her attention. The further back she ventured, the darker and cooler it got. Eventually, the sunlight began to fade out behind her, prompting her to hold tighter to her combistick.

Even with the high ceilings, it was starting to grow pitch black. The air was moist and a bit chilled, dampening the atmosphere and causing perspiration to cling to the walls. That moisture allowed what little light was left to reflect off the wet surfaces of the rocks, helping her navigate the darkness better.

Lex made sure there was solid ground underfoot before settling her weight down after each step. She knew how treacherous caves could be. There were often drop-offs that went miles down. The last thing she wanted was to die in an accident before she even got the chance to face her fears.

Up ahead, the passage split in two, forcing her to stop. To the left was a path so black she could not see past its veil of darkness. To the right there were gaps in the ceiling, sending scant rays of light to dot the cave floor. She had to pause for a moment and think, unsure which path to take.

_What would Scar do?_ she asked herself.

He would track his prey, try to find out which direction led him to his quarry.

Crouching down, Lex scanned the ground with her eyes. She remembered the way Scar had tracked xenomorphs back in the pyramid. He'd reach out and touch the floor, feeling the texture and freshness of the resin the alien's left in their wake.

Lex did the same, running her hands over the rocks until her fingers suddenly came across something thick and slimy. It seemed to be most prevalent in the passage to the right, leading off in a trail of goopy ooze.

Without a second thought she followed after it.

She had been pursuing her lead for about five minutes when she suddenly froze in her tracks.

Hairs rose on the back of her neck and goose bumps spread up her arms. Her senses were absolutely alight with activity, filling her with that age old instinct that signaled danger was in her midst.

There was something behind her, she was certain of it. Every nerve in her body was buzzing with primal fear.

A familiar low hiss sounded near her back and Lex's breath caught in her throat. She swallowed softly and tried to remain as quiet as possible whilst her eyes raked over every inch of the sparsely lit walls around her, searching for an escape route. When her gaze landed on a solid wall about a hundred feet straight ahead of her, Lex cursed her decision to choose this path. It was a dead end. She had effectively trapped herself in a cleft with no way out and in doing so signed her own death warrant.

Slowly turning around, her eyes were met with pure blackness.

Careful of the unsteady rocks, Lex backed up into the small beams of light stealing in from the fissures overhead. If she was going to die in here, then she at least wanted to see it coming.

A deep growl reverberated inside the shadows, causing her pulse kick into overtime.

Quickly, she extended her combistick and held her shield out before her, prepared to face the beast.

It was silent at first, but seconds later she watched as something massive began to slink forward. A blob of darkness slithered down from a sizeable crevice carved high in the cave wall. When it reached the floor, the stones under her feet began to tremble and vibrate with each step the creature took, alerting her to its size.

The moment Lex saw the first glinting reflections of light shimmer off the sleek crown of the beast, she felt her heart drop to her feet.

Out from the darkness, a Queen of massive proportions stalked forward. Her eyeless head swayed side to side. With each swipe, the motion grew shorter and more precise as she honed in on Lex's exact location.

Words failed her as she stared up at the Empress towering over her. She was twice the size of the alien Queen she had faced back on earth, slightly faded in her coloring but no less terrifying. Her beautiful crown was rimmed with spur after spur after spur. Her great height was nearly as tall as the cave, forcing her onto all fours in order to walk. In the tight space of the cleft Lex had worked herself into, her crown bumped and scraped against the walls, knocking off large boulders and sending them clattering to the floor.

Lex trembled before her size.

Now she understood why Scar had insisted she stay behind.

As she drew closer she was able to see the Empress had not one, but two sets of secondary arms. With one pair positioned below her primary arms and the second above them, she was a terrifying sight to behold.

Her drooling maw slowly drew back in a wicked smile, as if she knew the human was frightened by her and found it amusing. Her jowls were quivering as thick strings of saliva dribbled from her chin. In the chilling silence, their wet _plops_ echoed off the jagged walls as they fell to the ground.

Lex's legs felt a little weak, but she steeled her nerves and lifted her shield, knowing that now was not the time to wish she'd actually listened to Scar instead of going against his wishes just to prove a point. God, she of all people should have known better. Was she not the one who tried to drill those basic rules into her expedition teams?

_Don't split up, don't go off alone, don't be a hero, and never go against the rules that were meant to keep you alive. _

Lex had just broken all of her own rules in one day.

She was beginning to turn into a hypocrite.

The Empress suddenly lunged, catching Lex off guard.

She shrieked and scurried for the wall of the cave. In the tight space, the Empress's movements were greatly restricted, even with her massive body lowered onto all fours. She let out a frustrated hiss and rammed her head into the wall. The impact shook everything around them, causing rocks and dust to rain down from the ceiling, filling the atmosphere with a thick cloud that clogged her lungs.

Coughing up a fit, Lex quickly lifted her shield when she saw the end of a pronged tail emerge from the dust. It glanced off the smooth skull, nearly clipping her ear in the process.

With a shriek of fury, the Empress pushed and clawed at the wall, trying desperately to reach her quarry. But the human was tucked into a tight crevasse, using her smaller size to her advantage to stay out of reach.

Seeing an opening, Lex gathered her courage and ran from her shelter. She darted under the belly of the Queen, her thoughts only on escape.

If she could just get to the mouth of the cave, she might stand a chance against this thing.

Ducking a broad swipe of the alien's tail, Lex reached the end of the cleft and broke out into a hard run. Behind her, the Empress released a nasty scream of anger as her prey slipped past her. The entire place shuddered as she thrashed and roared inside the compact space of the cleft. She tried to chase after the human but, due to her size, she was forced to back out of the small passage just to get free.

As she emerged into the main corridor of the cave, she rose up to her full height with a low, predatory growl.

Lex repeatedly stumbled as the wet rocks wobbled unsteadily under her boots, slowing her down. Even in her haste, she could feel the ground trembling as the Empress gave chase.

"_Oh, shit…oh, shit…oh, shit,_" she panted with each frantic breath as she felt the alien gain ground fast.

She pushed her legs harder, her adrenaline pumping like a drug in her veins, both painful and exhilarating.

_Why the fuck did she sign up for this shit again?!_

Just ahead, the light of the cave's mouth came into view…and with it came a sense of dread.

She forgot to mark the wire…

It was practically invisible if one wasn't looking for it, and in her hurry, Lex doubted she had time to stop and mosey about, searching for the invisible death wire she'd planted with her own hand.

When she got close to the opening, Lex dropped to her knees once more, unwilling to risk having her legs sliced off. Lowering her belly as close to the ground as possible, she quickly crawled forward. Under her palms, she could feel the rumbling of the Empress's heavy strides suddenly pick up strength and speed.

Lex glanced over her shoulder and was shocked to see the Empress hot on her heel. With her heart in her throat, she scrambled to get away, scraping her hands and knees in the process.

When the Empress saw her, she lunged for her prey and lowered her crown, intending to stun Lex with a hard shove to her side. But, in her rush, her massive body reeled off balance from the shift in stance, causing her to go crashing into the rocky wall of the cave.

Lex struggled to escape the impact as the Empress collided with the left side of the cavern, shaking everything in sight. Her momentum sent her huge, glossy body flying out into the clearing, and straight into Lex's trap.

As she came bursting out into the sunlight, the outer left segment of her mighty crown was shaved clean off her head. Her legs, however, were spared. The wire only succeeded in slicing into her right ankle before her acidic blood dissolved the deadly string, probably before it could even reach the bone.

Lex shoved herself off the ground and ran like hell as the Empress's sizeable body came crashing down around her, her massive form completely blocking out the sun. Her lungs were burning from exertion, but as she sensed the impending closeness of the Empress's head – dripping acid blood – about to collapse on top of her, she lurched to the side. Lex tucked her arms against her chest and bailed, rolling out of the way.

Once she was clear of the danger zone, she fluidly transitioned out of the roll and onto one knee, her shield and combistick in hand.

Unfortunately, she knew this was far from over and she didn't dare take her eyes off the gigantic beast.

If it hadn't been for that last second when the Empress stumbled off balance, the creature would probably be lying before her, split in two…dead.

However, as it was now, the Empress was currently sprawled flat on the ground, her head facing her prey. Her growl was low and filled with abhorrence for the human that knelt in front of her, not two yards away.

Lex felt the searing rays of the sun beating down on her back as they stared one another down. A stoic glare was carved upon her face as she looked the Empress straight in her eyeless carapace, knowing this would be a fight to the death.

"Let's do this, bitch…" Lex said quietly, slowly rising to her feet to stand erect before her foe.

With an answering hiss from the Empress, she too rose to her full height, at least twice the size of the Queen she'd faced in Antarctica. She seemed completely unaffected by the pain of her maimed crown and injured foot, both of which were dripping and oozing with puce colored blood. A taste for vengeance was in the air. There was now a score to settle and she let the smaller human know it as she raised her head to the sky and let out a surging roar of rage.

Now that she was able to see the greying Empress clearer in the light of the sun, Lex was uncertain if she would be able to pierce the exterior around her skull. Her thick crown covered it like a sleeve, sheathing it in a near impenetrable shell. The weapons she had may be able to puncture it, but she doubted she herself would have enough strength to drive a blade through it.

Hastily, her eyes scanned the Empress's belly when she reared up and roared.

Under the jaw, right at the juncture of neck and head, looked like an unarmored weak spot.

That was all Lex got to see. Just like that, her scrutiny was over and the Empress's tail was coming down on her. Lifting her arm, she blocked it with her shield. Even with the buffer, Lex felt the utter potency of strength behind the attack. She wouldn't doubt it if a bruise was already forming on her forearm.

The Empress's tail suddenly came down again, and this time, the whip-like appendage continued to bear down on her with a constant, unrelenting pressure. Lex was forced to bring up her other hand just to stave it off. Soon, her arms and legs began shaking under the enormous power pushing down on her, trying to bring her to her knees.

Leaning in over her, the Empress snapped at Lex, sending her inner jaw out in a show of blatant intimidation and pure bloodlust.

Lex was unable to take anymore. Groaning from the strain, she swung her spear across the alien's lower jaw.

The Empress jerked back, giving Lex the much needed opportunity to get out from under her tail.

She kept the shaft of her combistick close to her forearm, finding it gave her more power in the momentum of her attacks, which also helped to make up for her meager human strength.

Moving quickly into another attack, the Empress mercilessly lashed out at Lex with her tail again, this time coming at her from the side. However, as she tried to block it with her shield, it shattered under the might of the Queen, simultaneously sending her flying back several feet.

Lex cried out as she felt the full force of the attack shatter her ulna. Worse still, the spines that protruded out all along the length of her tail pierced her arm, leaving behind a bloody gash. When she hit the ground, she tried not to acknowledge the pain. It had ripped through her flesh and shattered her bones, but pain was not a distraction she could afford right now. She scrambled back onto her feet and threw a piece of the skull's remnants at the Empress's face, diverting her and fending her off from leaning in for the finishing blow.

Lex quickly ran for the safest place: the Empress's undercarriage. She dodged back and forth, trying to avoid both her legs and the acidic blood still draining out from her wounds. Unwilling to damage her precious combistick, she instead pulled out one of the knives she'd taken from her room and shoved it up into the Queen's belly before swiftly rolling away, dancing around the downpour of acidic blood that subsequently followed.

Unlike the squawking and screaming of the Queen she'd faced back on Earth, who had tried to remove the spear, the Empress took the full brunt of the assault and stayed completely focused on her prey.

Lex, however, was already on the move. As she was rolling out from under the Empress, she threw several more daggers into her side before she leapt onto her hind leg. The beast screeched, turning her head to try and get at the smaller creature crawling up her body.

She knew this had to end fast or else she wouldn't come out of it alive. The Empress's stamina would likely be three times longer than her own. Her only hope of a fast victory would be to behead the Queen. Unfortunately, the only way to accomplish that was to climb up her back to reach her level.

Lex highly doubted that would be an easy task, especially with all her spurs and spikes and acid blood raining down from her crown, but she needed to at least try.

Hoping to buy herself some time, Lex stabbed her combistick into the Empress's hindquarters , aspiring to sever the tendons and cripple her.

Her plan had backfired.

A deep grunt left Lex's lips when she unexpectedly received a hard blow to her back, utterly knocking the wind out of her.

She didn't even get a chance to see what had hit her when something began wrapping around her body, long and bony and slithering. Gritting her teeth, she held back a pained shout when she felt sharp barbs dig into her flesh.

When it dawned on her that she couldn't move her arms, fear began to bubble up inside her.

The ground disappeared out from under her and, as she oriented herself, she came to the terrifying realization she was trapped in the grips of the Empress's tail. It was strong and muscular and impossible to escape from.

Everything happened too fast after that.

The next thing she knew, she was flung through the air. A scream ripped from her throat when the back of her head collided with the solid rock wall of the cliff.

For one horrible second, she swore she felt her brain jostle in her skull.

It hurt, terribly. But she was far too terrified to pass out.

Dizzy and shaking, she pushed herself to her knees, realizing she had landed on the lip above the mouth of the cave. Lifting her head to glare into the face of her enemy, she was met with the sight of the Empress running full force towards her, her mouth open and her inner jaw poised to strike.

Lex stared death in the face at that moment...and found that she was no longer afraid.

Instinct took over. Her stoic features hardened, ridding her body of its pain.

Inhaling slowly, calmly, she focused all of her being into the creature charging straight for her.

On her knees, she closed her eyes, letting her senses take control.

The Empress struck and Lex gracefully spun to the side, evading her attack. Her body was the very definition of poise and finesse, uninterrupted in her movements. As she glided, she drew her sword from her back and, in one single, flowing motion, she flattened her palm against the blunt side of the blade and pivoted on her knee. Adding extra force behind her swing, she carved a path of destruction through the Empress's neck.

She felt her sword, sharp and lethal, coast through tendon, muscle and bone as if it were slicing through air.

It was over in an instant.

The body dropped lifelessly to the ground whilst the head hung precariously on the lip of the cave next to her thigh.

Her eyes were hard as diamonds and her breathing seemed almost unnaturally light. Slowly, she lowered her sword, listening as the sizzle of acid blood broke through the empty silence that followed her victory.

Then the adrenaline started to fade, causing those after-battle jitters. Everything began to shake and swell in an emotional wave. But the pain shooting through her back soon washed all of that away, even the adrenaline could not drown out the ache in her body.

Releasing a deep breath, she flinchingly got to her feet whilst using the wall for support. After making sure to fling her sword clean of the blood, she tucked it back into its sheath and made her way to the ledge, braving the treacherous journey down.

It was difficult with her back being out of sorts, but when she finally touched ground Lex limped over to the body. Planting her booted foot on the corpse's leg, she grabbed the shaft of her combistick and pulled it out with a hefty yank.

"Damn it," she cursed under her breath when she saw the metal had dissolved slightly. Not only that, but the bandages she used to cover the scars on her thigh had been torn. Exhausted and broken, she fell to her knees beside the corpse of her prey, trying to steady her trembling fingers so she could fix the tears before anyone came and saw what she worked so hard to hide.

She couldn't help but laugh at herself in that moment. Only a child would be concerned over such a thing. Yet here she was, bloody and aching and terrified someone would see her scars.

The knots she tied in the bandages were crude and unappealing, but served their purpose well enough.

Just as she finished with the last one, the crackling hum of electricity broke the cold silence, buzzing just at her back. Snapping her head around at the sound, she found Scar's familiar presence standing over her as he decloaked.

Looking up at him, a small smile tugged at her lips, her heart fluttering in her chest as she sat, tired and weary, by the corpse of the Empress…_her prey_.

When the sound of his hushed purr reached her ears, she felt it do something to her. It pulsed through body, warming her from the inside out.

_Finally_…she thought as she closed her eyes, letting the vibrations wash over her. She could feel the air of approval radiating around him.

Surely, he had to see her as and equal now.

However, the moment her lashes fluttered shut, the soft whine of other cloaking devices deactivating brought her back to reality.

Instantly she straightened, ignoring the pain it sent shuddering down her back.

One by one, the tall yautja figures materialized around her, stepping forward into the clearing; all of them staring at her, all of them silent.

At the very back of the group stood the Elder, his crimson mantle making him impossible to miss. He was watching her, pinning her with those stern, unforgiving eyes.

Lex struggled to her feet.

She tried her best not to limp as she approached him, ignoring the pain it sent jolting through her body. As she passed the hunters, a few of them stepped aside, making way for her and staring as she walked by.

It seemed to take a long time, but when she finally reached the Elder Lex raised her eyes to his. Standing as erect as she could manage with her bruised back, she pressed her fist over her chest.

Holding the position made her a little dizzy, but she shoved the pain aside and continued to gaze up into his face, unobstructed by any mask.

She wanted him to understand. She was showing him acknowledgment, accepting him as her new Elder...her _clan_ Elder.

After a time, he reached out and gently gripped her right shoulder with his right hand.

"_Mei-jadhi,_" he said quietly. It was the same word he'd spoken when he accepted her into the clan, yet the manner in which he just uttered it was much more deeper, more reverent. It was more…_affectionate_.

Something that felt suspiciously like happiness blossomed inside her chest at that moment, nearly taking her breath away.

With no other way to communicate, she could only close her eyes and drop her head in open submission.

She felt his hand squeeze her shoulder and give it a soft shake in return.

_Yeah_, Lex thought with a small smile, _this feels like happiness._

It had been so long, she had almost forgotten what it felt like.

.

o0o

.

_N'Jord_ \- Norse for strong, victorious

_H'ko _\- no

_Mei-jadhi_ \- sister

_Kv'var_ \- hunt

_Kv'var-de_ \- hunter (she was basically trying to state that she, too, is a hunter)

**Sooo, I'm just gonna come out and say it...preds are fucking _sexy_.** **All those muscles and...more muscles...**

**That said, thanks so much for the feedback. Obviously, I'm taking liberties with some of the pred culture, some that I, personally, think make more sense. Like the Elder wanting to see Lex actually hunt(considering they're a hunting culture), rather than just randomly accepting her cuz she seems like a 'strong willed, independent woman'. I mean, really, who do people think the Elder is? Diane Sawyer? Barbara Walters? _Oprah?_ **

**I just hope fans won't mind.**

**Also, please forgive my errors, I have not beta. **

**Oh yeah, anyone who can pick up on the TMNT nod gets kisses. : )**


End file.
